Thick plumes of smoke billowed above highways near Jerusalem on Wednesday as firefighters rushed to control wildfires that have injured several people and prompted Defence Minister Israel Katz to declare the situation a “national emergency”.
Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue agency reported that hundreds of civilians were at risk from the worst brushfires in years, with Katz ordering troops to deploy to support firefighters.
MDA said it had provided treatment to around 23 people, 13 of whom were taken to hospital, the majority suffering from smoke inhalation and burns. Among them were two pregnant women and two children less than a year old, it added.
It said the alert level had been raised to the highest tier.
“We are facing a national emergency, and all available forces must be mobilised to save lives and bring the fires under control,” Katz said in a statement from his ministry.
Police closed the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway and evacuated residents along the route as brushfires broke out again in an area ravaged by blazes a week ago. Communities home to thousands of people have been cleared out.
“Our aircraft can’t do anything right now due to the weather conditions… Our goal is to save lives,” fire chief Eyal Caspi said at a televised press conference.
“We are apparently facing the largest fire in Israel in a decade.”
The police said on X that they had deployed in force around Route 1 and the Jerusalem Hills, asking the public to “avoid travelling to the area”.
An AFP journalist at the scene earlier on Wednesday said the blaze was sweeping through wooded areas near the main road between Latrun and Bet Shemesh, and that helicopters were working to extinguish the flames.
Bet Shemesh resident Shimon Bitton, 42, said his daughters had been evacuated from school.
“Even though we were scared, everything seems to be fine.”
Soldiers arrived on the scene mid-afternoon, with many drivers abandoning their vehicles and fleeing as huge clouds of dark smoke billowed from the fire.
Communities located about 30 kilometres (19 miles) west of Jerusalem were evacuated, Israeli media reported, airing images of firefighting teams battling fierce flames.
– ‘Worsening weather conditions’ –
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir hinted that arson could be behind the fires, as police said they had arrested a resident of east Jerusalem who was caught “attempting to set fire to a field in the southern part of the city”.
But there was no official declaration directly linking the two.
Ben Gvir said police would arrest anyone “involved in arson terror”, while also monitoring for unrest.
MDA said ambulance teams had been positioned near communities close to the fires and were ready to provide medical treatment and assist residents.
A motorcycle unit was ready to offer medical assistance to citizens stuck in heavy traffic, the agency added.
High temperatures and strong winds have allowed the fires in wooded areas to spread quickly, prompting evacuations from at least five communities, the police said in a statement.
Ben Gvir, who oversees Israel’s fire department, visited the affected area, which is prone to wildfires at this time of year.
In a video statement, he said work was being done to bring more assistance to the affected areas and evacuate stranded civilians.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has contacted nearby countries including Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Italy and Bulgaria for assistance, according to a statement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said three aircraft would arrive soon from Italy and Croatia to help fight the fires.
With personnel stretched thin, Ben Gvir said he had instructed organisers to cancel any evening events tied to Thursday’s Independence Day celebrations that would have required the presence of firefighters.
“The decision is aimed at reallocating forces to deal with the fire, strengthening firefighting units in the Jerusalem district, and preparing for the worsening weather conditions according to forecasts,” a statement said.
