REPORT: Israeli army officer feels privileged to take part in White Helmets rescue operation

An Israeli army officer on Wednesday (July 25) told Reuters of the 'White Helmets' rescue operation, in which hundreds of members of the Syrian civil defense group and their families fled advancing government forces and slipped over the border into Jordan overnight.

Israeli Lieutenant-Colonel E. said that even after hundreds of similar operations to assist Syrian civilians, this rescue was especially moving due to the relatively big number of people involved, including children, men and women.
 
With his back to the camera to avoid being identified, the officer said that after the first shock of entering Israel, known to Syrians as an enemy state, the people seemed to be relieved to be out of danger and on their way to a safe haven.

The Syrian Civil Defense group has been widely hailed in the West and credited with saving thousands of lives by operating emergency rescue services in rebel-held areas during years of bombing attacks by Damascus and its allies.

The group says it is politically neutral but Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his backers, including Russia, have said they see the White Helmets as Western-sponsored propaganda tools and proxies of Islamist-led insurgents.