JERUSALEM โ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the national headquarters of ZAKA, Israelโs principal search, rescue, and recovery organization, on June 26, where he commended the civilian volunteers for their work following the October 7 Hamas massacre and recent hostilities.
Netanyahu toured operational rooms alongside senior ZAKA officials and volunteers. He thanked them โon behalf of the people of Israel and the State of Israel,โ calling their efforts a โvictory of the spirit of the people, the victory of the eternity of Israel.โ
ZAKA deployed over 900 volunteers immediately after October 7 to recover bodies, assist forensic teams, and ensure proper religious burials. Since then, its 4,000-strong volunteer network has operated around the clock amid rocket and drone attacks from northern and southern fronts.
โYou provide so much resilience in the knowledge that everything possible is being done for life and for those who are no longer with us,โ Netanyahu said. He acknowledged the emotional difficulty of confronting death, noting the volunteersโ moral courage.
ZAKA CEO Dubi Weissenstern described the period since October 7 as โone of the most challenging in our history.โ He said volunteers work โso that families can have peace, so that those who have passed on are treated with dignity, and so that our nation never forgets its humanity, even in the face of horror.โ
Founded to ensure proper burials under Jewish law, ZAKA has expanded into a comprehensive emergency service. Its units include rapid medical response, urban search and rescue, water recovery teams, and culturally sensitive burial squads serving Jewish, Bedouin, Arab, and Druze communities.
Thursdayโs visit underscored ZAKAโs unique civilian role operating alongside military and official rescue services. Volunteersโ work has provided vital evidence for investigations into Hamasโs crimes and ensured victims receive religiously appropriate burials.
This article is based on verified information from The Jerusalem Post and ZAKAโs official statements.