[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

In the shadow of the terror attacks that took place Friday in Paris and given the ongoing and increasing threat level of further Isis attacks in Europe, Zaka on Sunday, 3 Kislev, launched a two-day emergency drill with Zaka Belgium, in cooperation with the local Jewish community.

The drill included, among others, issues related to dealing with mass casualty incidents, multi-site simultaneous terror attacks, dealing with the victims, establishing a central morgue, preliminary screening and identification, cooperation and working closely with the local emergency and rescue forces etc.

The training will close with several different scenarios taking place in various buildings within the Jewish community.

The training had been planned before the Paris terror attacks, but took on even greater resonance and importance in the light of the recent events.

Zaka International Rescue Unit Director Mati Goldstein, who traveled from Jerusalem to lead the training: “The levels of stress in the air after the terror attacks in Paris was palpable, especially due to the fact that the terrorists’ base of operations was in Belgium. There is increased police d security force presence on the streets and in places that are full of people. As a result, the participation in the drills and exercises was very high, as was the level of cooperation with the local community.”

Zaka Chairman and Founder Yehuda Meshi-Zahav: “Sadly, we are witnessing an increase in the levels of international terror. As an international humanitarian volunteer organization, we at Zaka invest significant financial and human resources in maintaining high levels of readiness among Jewish communities around the world and ensuring that they have the knowledge and tools to deal with emergency situations as and when they happen in their region.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem / Photos: Zaka)