Following 12 intensive days operating across disaster zones in Colombia, the IDF Home Front Command’s “Brit Re’im” (Covenant of Friends) delegation held a formal debriefing and welcome ceremony on Tuesday night at Camp Rechavam in Ramla, presided over by the Commander of the Home Front Command.
1+The specialized humanitarian mission comprised approximately 80 search-and-rescue personnel, structural engineers, and medical specialists from both active and reserve IDF units. Operating in close coordination with Colombian authorities, local first responders, and international disaster response teams, the Israeli delegation located and rescued 29 missing persons from the rubble. Following the conclusion of their targeted operational sector, no unaccounted-for individuals remained in their assigned disaster area. Upon completing its rescue directives and transferring specialized engineering tools and technical assessments to local emergency services, the delegation departed Colombia aboard an Israeli Air Force transport aircraft.
1+Commander of the Home Front Command, Major General Shai Klapper, addressed the returning personnel: “I met a delegation driven by an profound sense of mission. Today we can say—there are no remaining missing persons in the city of Cali.” The deployment followed a massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on August 10, triggering widespread building collapses and devastating critical infrastructure. According to current official casualty reports, the disaster claimed the lives of over 500 people and injured approximately 4,595 others.