Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said an aid delegation would be immediately dispatched to Colombia in a statement from the Government Press Office on Wednesday evening.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella asked Netanyahu to send a delegation to the country following an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 on Monday, the statement explained.
The earthquake, which occured in the heart of Colombia's coffee region, killed at least 250 people and reduced multi-story buildings to rubble in cities such as Pereira and Cali.
It also caused one of the towers of a historic cathedral in the city of Manizales to crack apart.
Emergency teams aided by police, soldiers, and volunteers have been working with excavators and, at times, their bare hands, hunting for survivors beneath debris.
Colombia-Israel relations improve
This request came amid efforts to improve relations between the two countries, part of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s broader initiative to improve relations with South American countries, with the Foreign Ministry designating 2026 as the “Year of Latin America.”
Colombia recognized Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights in a statement released by the country's Foreign Ministry on Monday.
In the statement, published on X/Twitter, the ministry recognized Israeli control over the area as “an essential component of its national defense and its ability to protect and safeguard its citizens."
The recognition resulted from a commitment made by both Israel and Colombia on Saturday, the ministry said.
Goldie Katz and Reuters contributed to this report.