Venezuela and Israel cooperate on post‑earthquake reconstruction

Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez met Israeli military officials, led by Brigadier‑General Elad Edri, in the first official Venezuela‑Israel contact in 17 years. The Israeli delegation presented a reconstruction plan to clear over a million tonnes of debris and rebuild infrastructure in La Guaira after two severe earthquakes in late June.

The Israeli Defence Forces' engineers have begun assessments and implementation of the recovery scheme, working alongside Venezuelan officials. Reported impacts of the quakes include roughly 3,700 deaths, more than 16,000 injured and over 15,000 families displaced, with hundreds of buildings damaged or collapsed.

The cooperation occurs despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties since 2009, marking a notable shift in Venezuela's foreign policy following recent political realignments.