‘We won’t rest until the bodies are buried’: Israeli officer in Thailand speaks from earthquake rescue site
Major (Res.) D. tells the Jewish News about Israel’s support in Thailand after the deadly earthquake that killed 1,600 people
An Israeli rescue officer deployed to Thailand after last week’s deadly earthquake has described the “complex and emotional” mission to recover victims from a collapsed high-rise construction site in Bangkok.
Speaking to the Jewish News, Major (Res.) D., the Behaviour and Population Officer with the IDF’s Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) unit, said her team arrived in Thailand within 48 hours of being called up.
The 21-member Israeli delegation includes engineers, data intelligence experts, and population behaviour specialists sent to assist Thai authorities in the aftermath of the 7.7 magnitude quake that struck near Mandalay on 28 March.
Over 1,600 people have been confirmed dead across Thailand and Myanmar. In Bangkok, 81 workers are believed to have been trapped beneath a 33-storey building under construction.
“We were told before we left that this would be a 10-day delegation, but the situation is still evolving,” said Major D. “We were sent here modestly, to see what the Thai army needed – and now we’re advising on the site every day.”
The Israeli team, dispatched on the orders of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s National Security Council, has built a 3D model of the collapsed structure to help locate missing persons. “It maps out the floors and where people were working. All rescue teams can use it to see the spread of victims,” she said.
Although not working with heavy equipment themselves, the delegation are advising Thai forces on technical operations. “We have engineers telling the Thai team where to cut and how to lift elements. We’re working side by side.”
Cultural and communication barriers presented early challenges. “At first it’s hard – imagine someone stepping into your garden who’s not family. But once we built trust, we started speaking the same language,” she said. Some translation goes through three languages: English to Thai to Burmese and back again.
Major D. previously served in the IDF’s relief mission after the 2023 Turkey earthquake but called the current site “the most complex” she had seen. “This building is huge; people inside are from many nationalities, and it’s very different from Turkey where entire areas were damaged. Here, it’s one building, one focus.”
The team has so far helped recover several bodies but has not found any survivors. “The first two days, we used our senses – smell, sight – and guided the Thai teams. Some of the people we helped locate were identified. The Thai teams have since taken over that process.”
She described visiting a survivor in hospital as a moment of hope: ‘He was on one of the upper floors and survived. Seeing him standing, talking, with flowers by his bed – it was amazing.”
Reflecting on the mission’s emotional impact, she said: “Leaving my boyfriend, my dog, my family – it’s hard. But we’re here for a cause: to save lives and give dignity to the dead.”
She added: “As Jews, we believe that a body must be buried; we won’t rest until the body is buried. That’s one reason we’re here. Not just to help Jews, but anyone.”
The delegation has received strong support from the local population and media. “People salute us when we leave the site. One Thai worker in my home village in Israel sent me a video of me from Thai news. It’s emotional for them – and for us.”
A social worker in civilian life, Major D. previously ran a business offering emotional first aid to trauma victims and holds a master’s degree in emergency management. She described her unit as close-knit: “The weather is hard, the work is tough – but we have each other. We laugh; we support each other. We’re like a family.”
Asked if she had a message for readers in the UK or Israel, she said: “I wish Jews everywhere could help not only each other but everyone who needs us – for the rest of our lives.”
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