In this file photo taken on February 25, 2017, a member of the White Helmets carries a wounded girl amid the rubble following reported government airstrike on the rebel-held town of Douma (AFP Photo/Sameer Al-Doumy)

Amman (AFP) - Israel has evacuated 800 White Helmets rescuers and their family members threatened by advancing Syrian regime forces to Jordan for resettlement in Britain, Canada and Germany, Amman said Sunday. Those rescued will be kept in a "closed" location in Jordan before being resettled in Britain, Germany, and Canada within three months, the source told Reuters. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military in coordination with its U.S. and European allies evacuated hundreds of Syrian rescue workers known as the White Helmets from near its volatile frontier with Syria, in a complex and first-of-a-kind operation. Founded in 2013, the Syria Civil Defence, or White Helmets, is a network of first responders which rescues the wounded in the aftermath of air strikes, shelling or explosions in rebel-held territory. Jordan’s official Petra news agency said on its website the kingdom “authorized the United Nations to organize the passage of about 800 Syrian citizens through Jordan for resettlement in Western countries”. Raed Saleh, head of the White Helmets, which are also known as the Syrian Civil Defense, said a number of volunteers and their families were evacuated from a dangerous, besieged area. The Israeli army said it evacuated the White Helmets at the request of the United States and European countries, in what it called "an exceptional humanitarian gesture.”

"Following an Israeli government directive and at the request of the United States and additional European countries, the IDF recently completed a humanitarian effort to rescue members of a Syrian civil organization and their families," the army said. “We are glad that these ‎brave volunteers, who have saved thousands of lives, are now out of harm's way.”

“We renew our call on the [Syria] regime and Russia to abide by their commitments, end the violence, and protect all Syrian civilians, including humanitarians such as the White Helmets, in areas formerly part of the southwest de-escalation zone and throughout Syria,” it added.
Israel Defense Forces extract 98 White Helmets and 324 others from recently recaptured southwestern Syrian territory into Jordan, at the request of Canada and the United States. Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany offer refuge to some of them. Two other groups intended for rescue, comprising about 800 people, do not escape.