Bet Shemesh, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Wednesday that rapid wildfire near Jerusalem could reach the city, as he declared the situation a “national emergency”.
Thick smoke over the highways near Jerusalem, provoked as highways in the form of firefighters, who rushed to control the forest fire that injured many people and motivated the army to help soldiers and other resources.
Israel’s Magen David Adom Rescue Agency reported that hundreds of citizens were at risk from the worst brushfire in the years.
The MDA stated that it had provided treatment to about 23 people, out of which 13 were rushed to the hospital, most of the smoke breathing and burning. Of these, two pregnant women and two babies were under the age of one, the couple.
It said that the vigilant level was raised at the highest level.
Ori Aviram/Middle East Picture/AFP/Getty
Talking near the city of Modin, 40 -year -old, 40 -year -old resident Yuval Aroni, said: “It is just very sad because we knew the weather, we knew that it would happen and yet we think they were not sufficiently prepared with big aircraft that could release large amounts of water.”
Netanyahu warned that “the western wind could easily push the fire towards the outskirts of (Jerusalem) – and even in the city.”
He said in a video statement, “We need to bring more and more fire engines and the firebrex needs to be made well beyond existing fire lines … we are now in a national emergency, not only one local one,” they added to a video statement. “Priority is currently defending Jerusalem.”
The police closed the chief Jerusalem-Tail Aviv Highway and vacated the residents along the route as brushfires were broken again in an area destroyed by Blaze a week ago. Thousands of people have been cleaned to thousands of people.
Student Yosef Aaron told AFP, “A lot of police arrived, a lot of firefighters, but it did not really help. The fire had already taken it completely here in the entire region.”
Mustafa Alkharouf/Anadolu/Getty 
Fire Chief Ile Caspie warned at a television press conference that “our aircraft cannot do anything due to weather conditions … our goal is to save life”.
“We are clearly facing the biggest fire in Israel in a decade.”
Police said on X that they had deployed the Jerusalem-Tail Aviv Highway and Jerusalem Hills in force, asked the public “to avoid traveling to the area”.
An AFP journalist at the scene said on Wednesday that the explosion was swinging through wooden areas near the main road between Latoon and Bet Shemesh, and the helicopters were working to extinguish the flames.
The troops reached the spot in the mid -afternoon, leaving their vehicles to flee the fire.
Ori Aviram/Middle East Picture/AFP/Getty 
In a statement, the Israeli defense forces stated that from Wednesday, a regional unit of soldiers and a regional unit of Jerusalem with search and rescue brigade, “with about 50 fircuts of the Homfront Command and Technical and Logistics Directorates,” to work directly with fire fighters in Jerusalem Hills.
The IDF said, “Overnight, dozens of engineering vehicles began working to prevent fire lines from spreading in other areas to make fire lines across the country.”
The communities located about 19 miles west of Jerusalem were vacated, the Israeli media said, “Fire -fed the images of the fire teams struggling with fierce flames.”
National Security Minister Itmar Ben Gwir indicated that arson could be behind the fire. Police said they had arrested a resident of East Jerusalem, who was caught “attempts to set fire to a ground in the southern part of the city”.
There was no official announcement connecting both directly.
Ben Gwir said that the police will arrest anyone “involved in arson terror”, while monitoring unrest.
The MDA said the ambulance teams were stationed near the communities close to the fire and were ready to provide medical treatment and help the residents.
Police said in a statement that high temperatures and strong winds have allowed the fire to spread quickly in wooden areas.
Ben Gwir, who oversees the fire department of Israel, visited the affected area, which suffers from wildfire during this time of the year.
In a video statement, he said that work was being done to bring more help in the affected areas and vacate the trapped citizens.
The Ministry of External Affairs has contacted nearby countries including Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Italy and Bulgaria for assistance.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with Israel and offered “content support” in a post on X.
Netanyahu’s office said that three aircraft would arrive from Italy and Croatia soon to help fight the fire.
Along with being personnel thin, Ben Gwir said that he had directed the organizers to cancel any evening events tied at Thursday’s Independence Day celebrations, requiring the presence of firefighters.
A statement said, “This decision is to recover the forces to deal with the fire … and prepare for the bad weather conditions as per the forecast.”
