Israeli rabbi held hostage by Mumbai gunmen; Israeli rescue team leaves for Mumbai

[MikeWB]

Israeli team leaves for Mumbai
Press Trust of India
Thursday, November 27, 2008, (Jerusalem)
With nearly 15 Israelis held hostages by terrorists in Mumbai, the government in Jerusalem has sent a team of paramedics, medics and other professionals to India to assist with rescue efforts amid an offer by Tel Aviv to help New Delhi in dealing with terror attacks and its aftermath.

The team will help to treat casualties and in locating missing persons in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and the International Red Cross. It will also assist in making arrangements for any Israeli casualties to be flown home.

Magen David Adom (MDA)rescue services have also put together a team of reservists, which will be on stand by in case additional people are needed.

MDA Director-General Eli Bin instructed the group to stay in constant contact with Red Cross representatives and to provide as much medical and other assistance as possible.

Earlier on Thursday, Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livniboth offered Israel's assistance to India in dealing with terror attacks and its aftermath. Barak talked to National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and expressed support for the Indian people in the wake of the brutal attacks.

He stressed that the "attacks were part of the wave of global terror that Israel was very familiar with and that free world countries that pursue peace must fight against".

Barak expressed concerns over the fate of Israelis caught up in the attacks and thanked the Indian government for its efforts.

Narayanan briefed Barak on the developments and the Israeli defence minister offered help in an advisory capacity or in any other way it could be of assistance, humanitarian or professional, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Livni called upon her Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee to show solidarity and condemn the heinous attacks. "Israel, India and the rest of the free world are on the front in the struggle against extremist terrorism, and unfortunately, yesterday, we received more proof of this. Dealing with terrorism needs to be a cooperative effort and obligates us to improve our cooperation in this area," she said.

Livni asked Mukherjee for help in getting real-time information on the developments in Mumbai, and for Indian government's assistance in evacuating Israelis from the areas where the attacks took place.

She was scheduled to hold an emergency meeting in the foreign ministry later today to discuss the latest developments.

Israeli rabbi held hostage by Mumbai gunmen
By Matthias Williams, Reuters
Thursday, 27 November 2008

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An Israeli rabbi is being held hostage by gunmen in a Mumbai apartment building after a series of attacks in the city that have killed at least 101 people, police said today.

Indian commando Amit Tiwari told Reuters a woman and a child had been released, and one of the gunmen had been killed, but at least four armed men remained in the building.

The Israeli rescue service Zaka, an ultra-Orthodox organization, identified the hostage as Rabbi Gabriel Holtzberg.

He and his wife, Rivka, operate a cafeteria and synagogue for the Chabad Lubavitch religious group, it said, adding that she and a two-year-old child had been released.

Zaka said Indian security had just informed the Israeli foreign ministry of plans to break into Chabad House, where unconfirmed reports say the rabbi has been wounded.

"The situation at the present moment is very unclear. We know there is a hostage situation at the Chabad centre and also in one of the hotels in town," Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmore told Reuters Television.

"Israelis are probably involved but we have no verifiable information as to how many or what their situation is at the moment."

Gunfire was heard from the area, a Reuters reporter on the scene said, and a loud explosion in mid-afternoon.

Israel's Ynet Web site said other hostages, including the child's caregiver, were also released some time later but that the Holtzbergs were still being held.

Chabad Lubavitch said on its website that it was concerned about the welfare of Holtzberg and his wife.

"The Israeli Consulate was in touch with Holtzberg, but the line was cut in middle of the conversation," a report on the Chabad website said. "No further contact has since been established."

"It is not clear what the gunmen want," Tiwari said.

One Indian television channel said Israelis were also among those being held hostage at the Trident/Oberoi hotel, one of two luxury hotels stormed by suspected Islamist gunmen overnight.

The deputy chief minister of India's Maharashtra state said there could be between 100 and 200 guests and workers trapped in the Trident-Oberoi Hotel, with 10-12 militants also inside.