Colombia’s government has restricted international rescue teams to four countries—the U.S., El Salvador, Ecuador, and Israel—as search efforts intensify following a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that killed at least 273 people and left 380 missing as of Thursday.
The decision was announced by David Tamayo Roldán, director of Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, who stated that only these nations’ teams met the required international and national certifications for search-and-rescue operations. The move comes as the critical 72-hour survival window for trapped victims nears its end, with rescuers calling for silence around rubble sites to listen for signs of life.
Israel deploys 80-person delegation
Israel dispatched an 80-member rescue delegation from Nevatim Airbase on Thursday night, including personnel from the IDF, Ministry of Defense, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The team, led by Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Pinto, commander of the Home Front Command’s National Rescue Unit, is tasked with mapping destruction sites and providing immediate life-saving assistance upon arrival.
The delegation’s deployment follows a request from Colombian President Abelardo De la Espriella, who was inaugurated just four days before the quake. De la Espriella’s administration has signaled a shift in Colombia’s foreign policy, including plans to move the Colombian embassy to Jerusalem and recognize the Golan Heights as Israeli territory. Despite this warming relationship, Israel has a history of sending aid to countries regardless of diplomatic ties, including Venezuela after its 2026 earthquakes despite severed relations since 2009.
Local leadership coordinates amid devastation
In Cali, one of the hardest-hit cities, Mayor Alejandro Eder has been coordinating rescue efforts, identifying 56 building collapses and deploying 150 rescuers within hours of the quake. Eder, who was conducting a radio interview when the tremor struck, described the emergency response as a total shift from routine governance, with teams prioritizing life-saving operations over other municipal functions.
Rescue teams, including volunteers and professional crews, have so far pulled 85 survivors from rubble, though hopes are fading as the 72-hour window for rescues narrows. In Cali and Pereira, rescuers have called for absolute silence around collapse sites to detect potential signs of life, with one volunteer stating, “There might be two more people alive here, and I’m hopeful.”
ZAKA establishes temporary clinic
Separately, ZAKA International Division has deployed a delegation to Cali, Pereira, and Chocó, including search-and-rescue personnel, doctors, and engineers. The group has set up a temporary field clinic to provide immediate medical care, emphasizing that their mission extends to all local residents, not just the Jewish community. Yosef Garmon, ZAKA’s South America commander, stated, “We are operating here for the Jewish community, but also for all local residents. For us, this is a mission of mutual responsibility.”
Government restricts aid amid rising toll
Colombia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it is preparing a list of specific needs for international aid and has requested support from the United Nations Development Programme. However, the government has rejected or limited assistance from several countries, including Mexico’s renowned “Topos” rescue brigade, which had not received a formal request for deployment. The Colombian geological service reported an additional 4.8-magnitude aftershock shortly after the initial quake, further complicating rescue operations.
As of Thursday, 380 people remain missing, and the death toll is expected to rise as rubble is cleared from hundreds of collapsed structures across western Colombia.