JERUSALEM, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli
search and rescue team Wednesday departed to Haiti, which was rocked by
a strong earthquake.
"The delegation includes engineering,
medical, logistics and rescue experts from the IDF Home Front Command,"
Israel Defense Force (IDF) said in a statement, adding that the delegation
will "examine the possibilities of offering aid following the recent
earthquake."
The 7.0-magnitude earthquake, which
struck at 4:53 p.m. local time (2153 GMT), was followed by a tsunami and
at least 13 aftershocks.
Israeli daily Haaretz quoted Israeli
Foreign Ministry as saying earlier Wednesday that three Israelis in Haiti
were feared missing.
Shortly after the earthquake, many countries
have offered or been ready to offer assistance to the Caribbean country,
which the United Nations said was one of the poorest states in the Western
hemisphere. ?