Israel declared a national emergency as the largest wildfires in the country’s history continued to rage out of control.
The Fire and Rescue Service’s Jerusalem District commander said firefighters had a long way to go before they could contain the blazes, which started near Mesilat Zion, west of Jerusalem, yesterday morning.
Shmulik Friedman said conditions could get even worse due to strong winds which could reach speeds of up to 100 kilometres an hour.
‘We are amidst a very large wildfire, maybe the largest there has ever been in this country,’ he said last night.
‘Regarding our activity, it will continue for a very long time. We are far from having control.’
Footage shows thick smoke billowing above highways as motorists abandoned their vehicles while the military has also deployed troops to help.
Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue agency reported that hundreds of civilians were at risk from the wildfires, and that it had already treated 23 people.
Friedman said that the cause was still unknown, and that emergency services were ‘not yet dealing with this’.
Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue agency reported that hundreds of civilians were at risk from the wildfires, and that it had already treated 23 people
Footage shows thick smoke billowing above highways as motorists abandoned their vehicles
The Fire and Rescue Service’s Jerusalem District commander said conditions could get even worse due to strong winds
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struck a similar tone, saying that the ‘priority right now is defending Jerusalem.’
He added: ‘We need to bring as many fire engines as possible and create firebreaks well beyond the current fire lines.
‘We are now in a national emergency, not just a local one.
‘This wave of fires is a threat to human life, to communities – and to Jerusalem. This is not just a fire in the field, it is a national danger.’
Israel Katz, the defence minister, said in a statement: ‘We are facing a national emergency, and all available forces must be mobilised to save lives and bring the fires under control.’
And fire chief Eyal Caspi warned at a press conference that ‘our aircraft can’t do anything right now due to the weather conditions… Our goal is to save lives’.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said he had held phone calls with counterparts from Argentina, France, Italy, the UK, Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Croatia, Greece, Cyprus, Azerbaijan and North Macedonia, to request aerial assistance in dealing with the wildfires.
But experts have said that Israeli leaders have failed to prepare for wildfires after major blazes in both 2016 and 2021.
Dov Ganem, chairman of the Israel Fire and Air Rescue Association, told the Walla news site that he had been warning for 18 years about the state’s lack of preparedness for massive fires.
He said he had long pushed for advanced aerial firefighting but had not been acknowledged.
Dov Ganem, chairman of the Israel Fire and Air Rescue Association, told the Walla news site that he had been warning for 18 years about the state’s lack of preparedness for massive fires
He said he had long pushed for advanced aerial firefighting
Israel Katz, the defence minister, said in a statement: ‘We are facing a national emergency, and all available forces must be mobilised to save lives and bring the fires under control’
Tomer Lotan, who served as the Director General of the Ministry of Internal Security from 2021 to 2022, said he had drawn up plans to purchase Blackhawk helicopters aimed at bolstering the firefighters’ aerial forces but was blocked.
‘I tried my best to explain that these were firefighting helicopters that were supposed to upgrade Israel’s air capabilities,’ he wrote yesterday.
‘Of course, it was like talking to a wall. The false arguments have stalled the Blackhawks project – and prevented us from being here today, two and a half years later, with a vital boost to the fight against the giant fires.’
Generally, experts say wildfires are encouraged by an abundance of dry vegetation and strong winds, and are usually sparked by negligence or arson.
Israeli police have reportedly arrested three suspects in connection to the wildfires, though authorities have said it is too early to determine the cause of the initial blaze.
There has also been concern within Israel over what appear to be celebratory posts across social media around the incident.
Messages circulating on Facebook, Telegram and TikTok show some users hailing the wildfires as a divine act.
Experts say wildfires are encouraged by an abundance of dry vegetation and strong winds, and are usually sparked by negligence or arson
Israeli police have reportedly arrested three suspects in connection to the wildfires, though authorities have said it is too early to determine the cause of the initial blaze
One wrote: ‘We ask God to protect our people and our land. May these fires confuse the occupiers and their embattled settlers.’
Another account said: ‘May God burn them as they burned the people of Gaza and their tents.’
Zvi Sukkot, a far-right lawmaker, wrote to Netanyahu to ask him to order a curfew and impose a lockdown on Palestinian villages in the West Bank.
‘There is a real concern, based on past experience, that Palestinians will try to ignite more fires in Judea and Samaria and throughout Israel,’ he said.
‘To prevent such occurrences, a curfew must be imposed immediately on Judea and Samaria, and a blockade must be imposed on the Palestinian villages.’