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Wildfires rage near Jerusalem
Major fires have been raging near Jerusalem, Israeli media reports say. Defence Minister Israel Katz called on the army’s chief Eyal Zamir to deploy troops to help.
“We are in a national emergency and we have to concentrate all available forces to save lives and take control of the flames,” a statement from Katz’s office said.
The country’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has called on neighbouring countries to provide assistance. Israel has carried out air strikes on two of its four neighbours, Lebanon and Syria, this week alone.
Karma? And look CNN woke up
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/30/middleeast/israel-wildfires-jerusalem-intl/index.html
Wildfires raging near Jerusalem forced evacuations in several areas and led to several major road closures on Wednesday, as firefighters struggle to contain the flames amid dry conditions and high winds.
Israel is seeking international assistance to fight the fires, as the defense minister says the country is “in a time of national emergency.”
“This is perhaps the largest fire ever in the country,” Jerusalem District Fire Department Commander Shmulik Friedman told reporters on Wednesday afternoon. He warned that winds in excess of 60 miles an hour are expected “in the near future,” dramatically increasing the risk of the fires.
Aircraft from Italy, Croatia to help with Israel wildfires
The Israeli prime minister’s office said three aircraft from Italy and Croatia will arrive to help fight fires near Jerusalem that have been rapidly spreading.
“It has so far been agreed that three ‘Canadair’ aircraft from Italy and Croatia will arrive in Israel as soon as possible,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said, following a situational assessment to advance international assistance.
Due to the wildfires, at least 30 people have been injured, including 12 who were hospitalised.
A national emergency has also been declared, and all major Independence Day events are cancelled.
