The city hall of Tel Aviv was lit on Monday evening with the Turkish flag, in a show of solidarity with the people of Turkey following the devastating earthquake that hit the country.
“Tonight, City Hall is lit with the Turkish flag. Our hearts go out to the people of Turkey in light of this catastrophic event,” wrote Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai on his Twitter account.
On Monday evening, the joint "Olive Branches" humanitarian aid delegation of the Israel Defense Forces, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense left Israel for Turkey where it will assist in the earthquake-stricken area of the country.
The delegation, led by the IDF Home Front Command, will depart from the Nevatim Air Force Base on Israeli Air Force aircraft this evening. The delegation is expected to begin its search and rescue mission immediately. An advanced team departed for Turkey earlier in the afternoon and will receive the delegation upon landing in Turkey.
Also on Monday, President Isaac Herzog spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and asked to give him and the whole Turkish people encouragement following the disaster of the terrible earthquake that struck Turkey and the region.
The President expressed his condolences on behalf of the Israeli people to President Erdogan and noted that on the instructions of the Prime Minister and the relevant authorities, a large and well-equipped search and rescue mission on behalf of the State of Israel will depart tonight to the disaster zone.
President Erdogan thanked President Herzog for his condolences and for the rescue mission, and he underscored that this assistance will greatly aid the many forces that have been operating on the ground for many hours already. He also emphasized his gratitude for Israel's stand alongside its friend, Turkey, at this difficult hour. In their conversation, President Erdogan updated President Herzog on the latest figures about the scale of the disaster, noting that this was the biggest earthquake in the history of Turkey.