Israel gives aid after Guatemala volcano erupts

EL RODEO, Guatemala (AP) – Israel says it has delivered food, blankets and medicine to Guatemala after a volcano erupted there, killing at least 25 people.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry says Monday it extended the assistance through its embassy in Guatemala and that a further assessment will be held with local authorities later.

Israel and Guatemala have grown increasingly close in recent years. Last month, Guatemala followed the U.S. by moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, becoming the second country to do so. Israel considers Jerusalem its capital. The Palestinians seek its eastern sector as capital of their hoped-for state.

The Volcan de Fuego, or “volcano of fire,” exploded in a hail of ash and molten rock Sunday, blanketing nearby villages in heavy ash and sending lava flows down the mountain’s flank.