President Isaac Herzog speaks with his Swiss counterpart, President Guy Parmelin, after some 40 partygoers were killed and 115 were injured in a blaze at a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana.
Herzog’s office says in a statement that the president expressed his condolences to Parmelin on behalf of the country and told him that Israel was ready to assist in any way it could, as Swiss authorities face the challenging task of identifying the victims.
He told the Swiss president that Israel has both “experience and advanced capabilities” that it has honed over the years, “in the fields of locating and identifying victims of fires, as well as in the treatment of burn victims in fire-related incidents.”
Parmelin thanked Herzog, the president’s office says, and told him that the Swiss Foreign Ministry “has been instructed, if required, to remain in contact with the Embassy of Israel in Switzerland.”
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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 1, 2026
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