One Israeli citizen was missing on Monday after a massive earthquake ripped through central Italy, killing at least 92 and destroying thousands of homes. Both Foreign Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman and the Magen David Adom emergency medical services offered their assistance to Italian authorities.
The missing Israeli has been identified as Arab medical student Hussein Hamda, 23.
The earthquake, which measured 6.3 on the Richter scale, struck at 3:30 a.m. local time in the central Italian region of Abruzzo, a scenic area popular with tourists. The medieval town L'Aquila, which is located near the epicenter of the quake, was struck the hardest.
The death toll is expected to rise as rescue forces search through the rubble. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi declared a state of emergency in the area. Thousands of structures collapsed and rescuers are digging frantically in an effort to locate survivors.
The Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry was initially concerned for four Israelis who were in the area at the time. Three of the missing, who were part of a group of 10 Israeli students who studied in the area, were later found.
Fears for the life of a student from northern Israel grew after rescue workers reported that his house had collapsed. A fellow student said that rescue workers estimated they would find survivors. In the student's home town, where people gathered at his family's home, there was no information that could shed any light on his status.
Foreign Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Magen David Adom both offered Italian authorities any and all assistance in rescue efforts. The Italians thanked the Israelis for the offer, but said that in the meantime they are dealing with the tragedy alone.