A delegation from the Israeli emergency response organization United Hatzalah has cut short its mission in Turkey and returned to Israel due to security concerns. The group sent a group of around 40 volunteers, mostly medical professionals, to assist with the rescue efforts in southern Turkey after last week’s earthquakes. The delegation was originally scheduled to stay for 10 days but decided to return to Israel early due to a “concrete and immediate threat.”
The decision to return early was driven by two main concerns, proximity to the Syrian border and the city of Gaziantep, which has seen activity from the Islamic State, and growing unrest among Turkish citizens over the government’s response to the earthquake. A United Hatzalah spokesperson said residents in the affected area, where around 10,000 people are estimated to have died in the earthquakes, are growing increasingly frustrated with the government’s handling of the situation and there are fears this may result in violence.
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“Unfortunately, we have just received intelligence of a concrete and immediate threat on the Israeli delegation and we have to put the security of our personnel first,” said Dovi Maisel, the vice president of operations for the organization.
Other international delegations are also wrapping up their missions in the area due to the same security concerns, according to the United Hatzalah spokesperson.