As Israel grappled with one of the largest wildfires ever in the country this week and the blaze barrelled towards Jerusalem, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a national emergency.
The blaze erupted in the hills west of Jerusalem on Wednesday, starting in the Eshtaol Forest near Mesilat Zion and rapidly spreading due to high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds.
“This is perhaps the largest fire ever in the country,” Jerusalem’s district fire department commander Shmulik Friedman told reporters on Wednesday afternoon.
Firefighters have since contained most of the major hotspots, said the Jewish National Fund, which manages forests in the country, though firefighting efforts continue to address remaining hotspots.
Evacuation orders have been lifted, and major highways, including the main route between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, have reopened.
By Friday, the fires had burned an estimated 6,000 acres of land, including 2,000 acres of forest.
Three Catholic religious communities that were forced to evacuate from their properties on Wednesday were also able to return on Thursday, said Farid Jubran, spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate.
He said their agricultural lands, including vineyards and olive trees, suffered heavy damage as did some buildings. But there were no injuries, and historic churches were not affected.
The fire prompted concerns over the safety of citizens in Jerusalem as winds of 60mph made the situation challenging. Mr Friedman earlier said it could dramatically increase the threat posed by the fires “in the near future”.
Earlier, declaring the fires a national emergency, Mr Netanyahu warned that the wildfires could reach Jerusalem.
“The western wind can push the fire easily toward the outskirts of (Jerusalem) – and even into the city itself,” he said in a video sent by his office.
Video footage showed vehicles stranded nearby as flames spread throughout the area, while another video showed the fire approaching a Catholic monastery.
At least a dozen people have been hospitalised due to smoke in the area and some firefighters also sustained injuries.
Many people were seen abandoning their cars and running away from the flames, with critical roads shut down for hours. Several houses were evacuated too.
Israel’s Fire and Rescue services has said there are 155 firefighting teams operating at “full force in all fire centres in the area of Shfelet Yehuda.”
They said the Elad Squadron’s firefighting planes were making rounds over the major hotspots and near settlements in order to cut off the fire from the houses.
The Israeli government has appealed for international assistance, receiving commitments for firefighting aircraft from Italy, Croatia, and North Macedonia. The Palestinian Authority has also offered support, though Israel has not yet responded to this offer.
The wildfires coincide with Israel’s Memorial Day and Independence Day celebrations, leading to the cancellation of ceremonies on Thursday including a major event at Mount Herzl.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the wildfire, with some officials suggesting possible arson, and a number of individuals have been arrested on suspicion of starting fires.
