Past IDF Search and Rescue Aid Delegations Abroad

Posted on January 14, 2010 by idfspokesperson

Past IDF Search and Rescue Aid Delegations Abroad

14 January 2010

Over the years, the Home Front Command has operated in several major crisis zones in the world, acquiring high level skills, both technologically and in the ability to find creative solutions:

Below are a number of examples of the Home Front Command’s missions abroad:

Collapsed Building, Nairobi, Kenya, January 2006 – When a five story building collapsed in Nairobi, Israel sent a team of 80 S&R personnel to assist with the rescue efforts, under the command of Maj. General Yitzhak Gershon, Head of the Home Front Command.
Car bomb explosion at the China Hilton Hotel in October, 2004 – Immediately after receiving the initial details of the attack, the Search and Rescue Unit was called to the scene in order to rescue those trapped in the hotel ruins. The staff began intensive activity at the site of the incident in order to evacuate the injured and locate the persons trapped in the ruins.
Kenya 2003 – An aid delegation, headed by the outgoing OC – Home Front Command at the time, Brig. Gen. Eitan Dangot departed for Mombassa following a terror attack at the Paradise Hotel. Dozens were injured, among them 21 Israeli citizens. The mission intended to provide medical aid to those injured in the hotel and to return the Israeli citizens back home at the fastest possible speed. After 12 hours, 270 Israeli citizens were returned to Israel.
Earthquake, India, January 2001 – After a massive earthquake in western India, Israel sent 5 planes laden with over 65 tons of equipment and aid and 170 search and rescue personnel. The delegation set up one of the largest field hospitals in Buhj staffed with doctors, nurses, medical assistants and IDF and Magen David Adom paramedics, who treated roughly 1,300 casualties, delivered 12 babies and helped with S&R efforts in the field.
Aid to victims of the earthquake in Northwestern Turkey 1999 – Two Search and Rescue delegations were sent to Turkey following the disaster and a field hospital was constructed. The delegation rescued 12 survivors and 140 victims. The field hospital in Adapazari serviced 1200 injured patients, performed 40 surgeries and delivered 15 babies.
Greece 1999 – Assisting in the search and rescue mission following an earthquake in September 1999.
Car bomb explosion at the American Embassy in Kenya in August, 1998 – Following the explosion of a car bomb in close proximity of the American Embassy in Kenya, the Search and Rescue Unit worked to locate and evacuate 96 victims. The Israeli delegation received appreciation and recognition from the Kenyan and world public. The Israeli delegation was the first to arrive on the scene from abroad and began its mission immediately.
Bombing of the Jewish community building in Argentina, June 1994- In which the building collapsed as a result of a car bomb. Over nine days of intensive efforts, the Rescue unit, in cooperation with additional rescue forces, was able to rescue those trapped, and recover 81 bodies.
Earthquake in Armenia, December 1988- The Search and Rescue Unit, in cooperation with additional forces, operated for 12 days in an attempt to rescue those trapped under the ruins of buildings that collapsed.
Earthquake in Mexico, September 1985- The Search and Rescue Unit, in cooperation with additional forces, operated for 16 days in an attempt to rescue those trapped under the ruins of buildings that collapsed (55 people).

Details on IDF Humanitarian Aid Delegation to Haiti

Posted on January 14, 2010 by idfspokesperson

IDF Humanitarian Aid Delegation Scheduled to Depart to Haiti Crisis Zone

14 January 2010

Later tonight or early tomorrow morning, an IDF delegation is scheduled to depart from the Ben Gurion International Airport on board two leased airplanes in order to provide medical care and services to victims of the earthquake in the Republic of Haiti.

Brig Gen. (Res.) Shalom Ben-Arye, the Commander of Home Front Command’s National Search and Rescue Unit will head the IDF delegation and Col. Dr. Itzik Kryse will serve as his deputy as well as the head of the medical team and the hospital commander.

The IDF delegation will construct a field hospital in the disaster area that will include 220 personnel, among them Home Front Command rescue teams and IDF Medical Corps teams.

The field hospital will include 40 doctors, 25 nurses, paramedics, a pharmacy, a pediatrics department, a radiology department, an intensive care unit, an emergency room, two operating rooms, a surgical department, an internal department and a maternity ward.

The hospital can treat approximately 500 patients each day, and in addition will perform preliminary surgeries, and will house approximately ten tons of equipment.

The Home Front command forces will include 30 rescue workers, task force intelligence, logistics forces and a communications department, in addition to search and rescue and population aid experts from the Home Front Commands Search and Rescue Unit.

On Tuesday, a preliminary force of five people left for Haiti, for the purpose of establishing a status assessment of the crisis zone for the expanded delegation and will coordinate the majority of the activity until the arrival of the Israeli delegation including transportation, hospital location, food, etc.

The delegation is expected to stay in Haiti for two weeks. In those two weeks, forces will conduct a status assessment regarding the possible need for further stay.

The delegation will also include a media pool of reporters (Israeli television cameraman, a radio reporter, print reporter, and one international reporter).

Today, as instructed by OC Home Front Command Maj. Gen Yair Golan, all members of the delegation will be given vaccines and a detailed briefing regarding the mission and the actions needed to ensure their personal safety.

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IDF Humanitarian Aid Delegation Scheduled to Depart to Haiti Crisis Zone

The IDF delegation will construct a field hospital in the disaster area that will include 220 personnel, among them Home Front Command rescue teams and IDF Medical Corps teams.

The field hospital will include 40 doctors, 25 nurses, paramedics, a pharmacy, a children’s ward, a radiology department, an intensive care unit, an emergency room, two operating rooms, a surgical department, an internal department and a maternity ward.

The hospital can treat approximately 500 patients each day, and in addition will perform preliminary surgeries, and will house approximately ten tons of equipment.

In addition to the hospital and the medical team, the delegation will include a logistics branch, a security force and a search and identify force, among others.

The delegation is expected to stay in Haiti for two weeks. In those two weeks, forces will conduct a status assessment regarding the possible need for further stay.

The delegation will also include a media pool of reporters (Israeli television cameraman, a radio reporter, print reporter, and one international reporter) who were chosen randomly by the press association, under the supervision of a lawyer.

Head of IDF Medical Corps on Preparations for Haiti Aid Delegation

Posted on January 14, 2010 by idfspokesperson

Brig.-Gen. Nachman Esh, Head of IDF Medical Corps on Preparations for Aid Delegation to Haiti

14 January 2010

In a briefing earlier today, Brig.-Gen. Nachman Esh, the head of the IDF Medical corps discussed the preparations for the IDF aid delegation to Haiti.

Summary of key points:

Delegation is scheduled to depart this evening at 20:00, arrive in Haiti on Friday and open hospital on Saturday.
Delegation prepared to treat trauma patients, and the IDF is currently preparing and loading all of the necessary medical cargo.
IDF will set up a field hospital with a surgical room.
121 medical staff including 40 doctors, a gynecologist, pediatrician, and other medical specialists.
100 additional personnel
Field hospital will be able to treat 500 people a day, and between 40-50 emergency care patients
Field hospital expected to be in the area of the capital, Israeli delegation which departed yesterday currently coordinating so that aid may be delivered effectively.
IDF delegation currently planning to stay for 2 weeks.
The size of this delegation is roughly the same as the one the IDF sent to Buhj, India in 2001 after the earthquake there.

IDF Search and Rescue Pictures from India and Kenya

Posted on January 13, 2010 by idfspokesperson

The IDF Search and Rescue unit has been involved in many rescue missions aborad. Below are photographs from rescue missions in Nairobi, Kenya, January 2006 and Buhj, India January 2001.

Nairobi, Kenya: 24 Januray 2006, a five story building collapsed. Israel sent a team of 80 S&R personnel to assist with the rescue efforts, under the command of Maj. General Yitzhak Gershon, Head of the Home Front Command.

Nairobi, Kenya, January 2006

In January 2001, a massive earthquake hit western India. Israel sent 5 planes laden with over 65 tons of equipment and aid and 170 S&R personnel. The delegation set up one of the largest field hospitals in Buhj staffed with doctors, nurses, medical assistants and IDF and Magen David Adom paramedics, who treated roughly 1,300 casualties, delivered 12 babies and helped with S&R efforts in the field.

IDF Field Hospital, Buhj, India, January 2001

Surgery in the Field Hospital, Buhj, India, January 2001

IDF Search and Rescue Unit

Posted on January 13, 2010 by idfspokesperson

The IDF National Search and Rescue Unit, under the Home Front Command, is a highly skilled force trained to execute special search and rescue missions, both in Israel and abroad. The unit was founded in 1983, and its’ expertise is in rescuing people trapped under ruins.

The unit is comprised primarily of reservists who are always on call, with prepared kits to enable immediate departure, and a small core of soldiers in mandatory service. In addition to the rescue teams, the unit employs doctors, engineers, mechanical engineering equipment operators and rescue dog handlers.

In November 2003 the first Search and Rescue Company, the Shavit Company, was founded in response to the need for a large operational S&R force that would be available at all times. Subsequently, two additional companies, Hetz and Rotem, were established. The soldiers are all graduates of the Search and Rescue course, and are trained in first aid, Krav Maga, infantry, ABC (atomic, biological, chemical) warfare, and more.

The unit is on-call 24 hours a day and are deployed whenever there is a disaster – earthquakes, tsunamis, conventional or unconventional terrorist attacks. The S&R companies also assist IDF infantry forces during routine operations.

Islamic Jihad Operatives Killed in IAF Attack, 10 Jan 2010

Posted on January 10, 2010 by idfspokesperson

January 10th, 2010

Terrorists Targeted are Islamic Jihad Operatives Including Senior Commander

The terrorists targeted in the IAF attack this evening were four operatives of the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization’s central region. Awad Abu Nasir, one of the operatives killed, was one of the terror organization’s senior field commanders and is known to be behind dozens of IED and gunfire attacks.

IAF Thwarts Rocket Attack Attempt

Posted on January 10, 2010 by idfspokesperson

In a joint IDF and ISA operation, the IAF targeted and identified hitting a squad of terror operatives who were preparing to fire rockets from the central Gaza strip into Israel.

Archive: Seven rocket launchers, one loaded with a rocket, discovered after IAF thwarted a terror attack in Gaza.

More than 300 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israel since the end of Operation Cast Lead. This is in comparison to over 3,300 rockets and mortars that were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip in the whole of 2008, prior to the operation.

The IDF will not tolerate the firing of rockets by terrorist organizations at Israel and will continue to respond against any attempt to disrupt the calm in Israel’s southern communities.

In Response to Rocket and Mortar Shells Fired at Israel, IAF Struck Terrorist Facilities in the Gaza Strip 8 Jan 2010

Posted on January 8, 2010 by idfspokesperson

In response to the barrage of mortar shells and the Qassam rocket fired into Israel yesterday, the Israel Air Force struck and identified hitting four targets in the Gaza Strip in a joint IDF-ISA operation. One terror tunnel in the central Gaza Strip and two smuggling tunnels in the Rafah Border area and one weapons-manufacturing facility in Gaza City were among the targets.

The terror tunnel was intended to be used for infiltration into Israeli territory in order to execute a terrorist attack against Israeli citizens or IDF soldiers. The tunnel was dug a kilometer away from the security fence.

More than 280 rockets and mortars were fired at Israel since the end of operation Cast Lead and more than 750 hit Israel in the whole of 2009. Throughout 2008, prior to Cast Lead, over 3300 rockets and mortars were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip.

The IDF will not tolerate the firing of rockets by terrorist organizations at Israel and will continue to respond against any attempt to disrupt the calm in Israel‘s southern communities.

IAF Strikes Terror Operatives in Gaza

Posted on January 6, 2010 by idfspokesperson

Last night, in a joint IDF-ISA operation, the Israeli Air Force attacked a group of terror operatives planning to fire rockets from the Southern Gaza strip into Israel. Accurate hits were identified. One terror operative was killed and three additional operatives were injured. The terror operatives are known to be members of the Popular Resistance Committee.

Archive: A Hamas-made rocket uncovered in a civilian house in Gaza.

Approx. 790 rockets were fired into Israel in 2009.

The IDF will not tolerate rocket fire into Israel by terrorist organizations and will continue to respond to any attempt to disrupt the calm in the communities of southern Israel.

IDF Soldiers Thwart Drug-Smuggling Attempt in North, 4 Jan 2010

Posted on January 4, 2010 by idfspokesperson

January 4th, 2010

Drug-Smuggling Attempt Foiled by IDF Soldiers in Northern Galilee

In the northern border of the Galilee region, IDF soldiers thwarted an attempt to smuggle illegal drugs into Israel yesterday evening.

The soldiers identified two suspects burying unknown objects in the ground and then converged with two additional suspects. After the soldiers arrested the suspects, they discovered 11 drug-filled bags. The suspects and the evidence were then transferred to the Israeli Police.

The Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Police routinely carry out joint activity on Israel’s northern border in order to prevent any and all attempts to infiltrate into Israel and to harm Israel’s citizens and soldiers.