Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday paid an unscheduled visit to the national headquarters of ZAKA in Jerusalem, thanking the organization’s search-and-rescue teams for their work during last week’s Rising Lion Operation.
“I came here to say thank you on behalf of the people and the Government of Israel,” Netanyahu told the group’s directors, commanders, and volunteers.
“You give Israelis a great deal of strength by doing everything possible for the living and for those who are no longer with us. Looking death in the eye is never simple. I once held a fallen comrade in my arms when I was eighteen; I know what it means.”
Netanyahu said the efforts of ZAKA personnel since Iran’s unprecedented missile barrage “reflect the victory of the spirit of Israel” and called their commitment “a matter of the heart.”
During the visit, which was closed to most media, journalist Michael Shemesh reported that the prime minister stepped out of the room for what aides described as an “important phone call.” Netanyahu returned several minutes later and continued the meeting. The Prime Minister’s Office did not disclose who was on the line.
Volunteer organization
ZAKA, a Hebrew acronym for Disaster Victim Identification, is a volunteer organization that recovers human remains from terror attacks, rocket strikes, and accidents so they can be buried according to Jewish law. The group also assists non-Jewish victims when requested and runs ambulance and rescue units.
According to the organization, its 8,000 volunteers were among the first responders after last week’s Iranian strike, helping police and Home Front Command collect forensic evidence and care for casualties in Beersheba, Tel Aviv and communities near the Gaza border.