Several countries send help to Israel for battling major wildfire

Several nations have deployed firefighting aircraft to Israel to help contain a massive wildfire that has raged for a second consecutive day, prompting evacuations and temporarily closing a key highway connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as per reports.

The blaze, which erupted on Wednesday amid soaring temperatures and strong winds, quickly spread through a dense pine forest in the hills outside Jerusalem. 

According to Israel’s Fire and Rescue Authority spokesperson Tal Volvovitch, the wildfire has scorched an estimated 5,000 acres (around 20 square kilometers), making it one of the most severe fires the country has experienced in the past decade.

Despite the scale of the fire, Volvovitch noted that no residential structures have been lost, describing the outcome so far as “miraculous.” However, the situation remains critical. Thick smoke blanketed parts of Jerusalem on Wednesday, and at least a dozen people were hospitalised for smoke inhalation, with another ten treated on-site, according to emergency medical service Magen David Adom.

As of Thursday morning, 10 firefighting planes were active in the skies above the affected areas. Additional support is arriving throughout the day, with eight more aircraft expected to join operations. 

According to official statements, Italy, Spain, France, Croatia, Ukraine, and Romania are among the countries contributing planes. Other nations, including North Macedonia and Cyprus, have also committed water-dropping aircraft to assist in the firefighting efforts.

Authorities temporarily evacuated multiple communities as a precaution, though the evacuation order was lifted on Thursday for about a dozen towns in the Jerusalem hills, according to updated reports from local officials.