Israel Offers Aid, Condolences to Flood-Stricken Germany  

Jerusalem, 18 July, 2021 (TPS) -- Israel’s Fire and Rescue Commissioner Dedi Simchi submitted on Friday an offer of assistance to the German government following the huge floods that have caused heavy casualties and significant damage to homes and infrastructure.

Germany’s worst floods in 200 years have killed at least 160 people. Many hundreds more are missing and the toll is expected to rise.

Sources at the German embassy in Israel thanked Simchi for the Israeli assistance offer and noted that at this stage no international assistance is needed.

Two weeks ago, an Israeli aid delegation was sent to Cyprus with fire and rescue teams to help put out the major forest fires that threatened the Limassol district. The delegation included crew members and two Israeli firefighting planes with flame retardants.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Saturday sent a special letter of condolences to German President Frank Walter Steinmeier and to the German people following the disastrous floods.

“I agree with the President of Germany, that the challenge of global warming, which contributed to this calamity, requires us all to make a special effort. I stated that we would be willing to help in any way,” he stated.