The Israeli aid organization United Hatzalah announced on Sunday that it was suspending its operations in Turkey due to a “serious threat” to the security of its team there.
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The organization announced in a press release its decision to “end its mission and return to Israel as soon as possible” because of “a serious threat to the Israeli assistance mission in Turkey.”
United Hatzalah originally posted the decision on Twitter before deleting the post.
In recent days, rescuers have been sharing videos and photos of their rescue operations in Kahramanmaras, the epicenter of Turkey’s earthquake, on social media.
In recent days, Israeli rescue teams have been working non-stop to rescue earthquake victims in Türkiye.
I wish the hundreds a Shavuah Tov @IsraelMfA Home Front Command staff, volunteers and Israeli organizations working day and night to save lives. pic.twitter.com/hv8SySICdI
—Israel ישראל (@Israel) February 11, 2023
“Unfortunately, we have received information about a specific and imminent threat against the Israeli delegation and we must prioritize the safety of our employees,” the NGO said.
However, she declined to elaborate on the nature of the threat or the source of the information.
Israeli army rescue teams are continuing rescue and care operations in Turkey, where they have field hospitals, the Israeli embassy in Ankara told AFP.
Magen David Adom, the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross, continues to work in Turkey, a spokesman told AFP.
The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday rose to more than 33,179 on Sunday: more than 29,605 dead in southern Turkey and more than 3,500 in Syria. According to the UN, the toll could “double”.
The announcement by the Israeli NGO comes because the Austrian Armed Forces and a German association had temporarily made a similar decision.
The Austrian army suspended its rescue operations in Turkey for a few hours on Saturday, citing “the security situation there”.
“There have been attacks between groups,” an army spokesman in Vienna told the AFP news agency without further details.
But on Saturday afternoon, two Austrian dog handlers were able to resume the search “under the protection of the Turkish army,” according to an army spokesman in Vienna.