Angry wildfires forced the Israeli government to close its main roads, evacuate several towns near Jerusalem, and called on Wednesday for international aid as firefighters battled some of the most intense fires the country has seen in years.
The fire broke Israel’s annual Memorial Day, and the fall of the country was one of the most sacred dates on the national calendar. Television broadcasts of solemn rituals in military cemeteries were replaced by footage of the Israelites, safely walking along a major highway.
Many planned celebrations on Israel Independence Day have been cancelled due to the continuous expansion of fires and bad weather. The cause of the wildfire is not yet known.
Israeli Fire and Rescue Services head Eyal Caspi called the fire one of the toughest events he could remember. He said the firefighting aircraft could not operate due to difficult conditions.
There are no reports of death, but Magen Adom Emergency Service said its medical staff had treated at least 19 people with minor injuries.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement that the combination of strong winds and dryness created a “fatal combination” that exacerbated the fire.
Israel has asked international aid to fight wildfires, which were still spreading as of Wednesday night. According to the Israeli government, officials have contacted the United Kingdom, France, Greece, Italy and other countries.
Part of the Palestinian authorities in the Palestinian-occupied West Bank have offered to help put out the fire, senior Palestinian official Hussein al-Sheikh said in a text message. In 2021, Palestinian firefighters joined Israel's efforts to defeat similar wildfires near Jerusalem.
Israeli officials did not respond to a request for comment on whether they accepted the Palestinian offer.
Mr. Caspi said over the weekend – after a smaller but still intense fire near Jerusalem – climate change could exacerbate the power of Israeli wildfires.
“This particular fire is moving at a speed of eight meters per second. Nothing is like this,” he said in a press conference last weekend. “When we talk about global warming, that's the reality.”
