Colombia earthquake: Israel dispatches 80-person rescue delegation to Cali as death toll approaches 300

An 80-person Israeli rescue delegation arrived in Cali, Colombia, on Friday, August 14, 2026, following a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on August 10 and has killed at least several hundred people and injured approximately 4,000 others, according to multiple sources.

The two Jerusalem Post reports place the death toll at 285, while The Straits Times puts it at at least 294. All sources agree that the number of injured stands at around 4,000. According to the Jerusalem Post, Colombian authorities confirmed Friday morning that approximately 400 people remain missing nearly four days after the quake.

The earthquake's epicenter was in the Chocó department on Colombia's Pacific coast, according to the Jerusalem Post. Cali, described as Colombia's third-largest city, was among the areas hardest hit.

The Israeli delegation, dubbed the 'Alliance of Friends,' departed Thursday night from the Nevatim Airbase, according to the Jerusalem Post. It includes officials from the IDF, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is headed by Home Front Command's National Rescue Unit commander Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Yossi Pinto. The team includes both regular duty soldiers and reservists.

According to Home Front Command's Maj.-Gen. Shai Klapper, the delegation's primary objective is to provide immediate life-saving assistance through mapping destruction sites, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Upon landing, IDF rescue unit commander Pinto and Foreign Ministry representative Ambassador Alon Lavi departed immediately to assess the situation and survey rescue sites, according to the Jerusalem Post. Israel's newly appointed ambassador to Colombia, Vivian Eisein, received clearance from Colombian officials to join the rescue effort and is expected to arrive in the country on Monday.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella requested rescue teams from four countries — the United States, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Israel — according to the Jerusalem Post. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the Israeli mission on Wednesday following that request.

According to the Jerusalem Post, de la Espriella was inaugurated only four days before the earthquake, succeeding Gustavo Petro, who is described as having been decidedly anti-Israel. The new administration has pledged to move the Colombian embassy to Jerusalem and recognised the Golan Heights as Israeli territory. The report notes that Israel has nonetheless regularly sent rescue teams to countries after natural disasters regardless of diplomatic relations, citing a prior delegation to Venezuela following twin earthquakes in June in which over 6,000 people were killed.

Separately, The Straits Times reported a personal account from Michael Ruiz, whose sister Lenny — a lawyer — died when their building collapsed in Cali. Ruiz said Lenny was holding their pet dog, Salomon, against her chest when the structure fell, and credited her with shielding the animal. Ruiz and rescuers recovered Salomon, a 12-year-old dog that is blind due to epileptic seizures, from the rubble. The story circulated widely on social media. A video of Salomon atop Lenny's coffin, placed there by Lenny's sister-in-law Jessica Florez so the dog could 'say goodbye,' was viewed tens of thousands of times, according to The Straits Times.

Where sources differ

• The death toll differs between sources: the Jerusalem Post (both articles) reports 285 dead, while The Straits Times reports at least 294 dead.

• No source establishes the precise current number of confirmed fatalities with agreement — figures range from 285 to at least 294.
• The sources do not report on the outcomes or findings of the Israeli rescue delegation's initial site assessments.
• No source details the scale or status of rescue operations conducted by the other three requested countries — the US, Ecuador, and El Salvador.
• The condition of other survivors in Cali and the broader affected region is not addressed beyond summary casualty figures.
• No source provides comment from Colombian emergency or government officials on overall rescue coordination.
• The fate or rescue status of the approximately 400 people still reported missing is not addressed beyond the figure itself.
• No independent verification of Lenny Ruiz's cause of death or the circumstances of her final moments is provided; the account rests solely on her brother's testimony.

1. The Straits Times — original — by The Straits Times
2. The Jerusalem Post — by ARIELLA ROITMAN
3. The Jerusalem Post — by LEO FEIERBERG BETTER

Read the original at The Straits Times

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