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The Independent
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Jerusalem wildfires latest: Israel says blaze is largely contained as help arrives from across Europe
Raging wildfires that threatened Jerusalem have been largely contained, according to the Jewish National Fund, which manages forests in the country, as aid from Europe began to arrive. About 5,000 acres, including 3,000 acres of forest, have been scorched since the blaze started in the hills outside the city on Wednesday. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the situation a national emergency, pleading for international aid. Firefighter planes from Greece, Cyprus, Croatia and Italy were sent to tackle the blaze, with reports saying that Ukraine, Spain, France and some other nations were also committed to sending aid. The cause of the fires remained unclear, although Mr Netanyahu said that 18 people had been arrested on suspicion of igniting the fires. At least a dozen people have been hospitalised and 10 have been treated in the field by medical professionals. 'This is perhaps the largest fire ever in the country,' Jerusalem 's district fire department commander Shmulik Friedman told reporters on Wednesday afternoon. Wildfires near Jerusalem largely contained The major wildfires near Jerusalem have been largely contained, 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. International assistance has bolstered firefighting efforts, with countries such as Italy, Croatia, Spain, France, Ukraine, Romania, North Macedonia, and Cyprus sending firefighting aircraft. Stuti Mishra2 May 2025 04:58 Evacuation order lifted on dozen towns in Jerusalem hills on Thursday Israel's fire and rescue authority lifted the evacuation order on approximately a dozen towns in the Jerusalem hills on Thursday. Three Catholic religious communities who were forced to evacuate from their properties on Wednesday were also able to return on Thursday, said Farid Jubran, the spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate. He said their agricultural lands, including vineyards and olive trees, suffered heavy damage, and some of the buildings were damaged. But there were no injuries, and historic churches were not affected. The main highway linking Jerusalem to Tel Aviv reopened on Thursday, a day after the flames had encroached on the road, forcing drivers to abandon their cars and flee in terror. On Thursday morning, broad swathes of burned areas were visible from the highway, while pink anti-flame retardant dusted the top of burned trees and bushes. Smoke and the smell of fire hung heavy in the air. Tara Cobham2 May 2025 04:30 Watch: Israel wildfires close key Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway as flames turn sky grey Tara Cobham2 May 2025 04:00 What caused the Israel wildfires? At least 18 suspects arrested over possible arson link Israel 's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that 18 people had been arrested on suspicion of starting fires outside Jerusalem, with one allegedly caught in the act of arson, as the country battled possibly its worst ever wildfires. 'This is perhaps the largest fire ever in the country,' Jerusalem's district fire department commander Shmulik Friedman told reporters on Wednesday afternoon. While the exact cause of the fires near Latrun was still unclear, Mr Netanyahu said the blaze was 'not a simple thing'. My colleague Maroosha Muzaffar reports: What caused the Israel wildfires? At least 18 suspects as arson link probed Benjamin Netanyahu says one suspect caught in the act Tara Cobham2 May 2025 03:00 Fires come after massive forest fire claimed 44 lives in Israel in 2010 The fires comes after a massive forest fire claimed 44 lives when it burned for four days on northern Israel's Mount Carmel in 2010. That blaze also destroyed around 12,000 acres, much of it woodland. Tara Cobham2 May 2025 02:00 Watch: IDF combats Israeli wildfire as Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway blocked Tara Cobham2 May 2025 01:00 Climate change contributed to fire's ferocity, says organisation managing Israel's forests Climate change, which has resulted in decreased rainfall in the region, contributed to the fire's ferocity, according to one of the organisations that manages Israel's forests. Anat Gold, the director of Israel's central region for the Jewish National Fund, known by its Hebrew acronym KKL, which manages forests, plants trees, and promotes settlement in the Holy Land, said: 'Of course when there's a series of drought years, it's a fertile ground for fires.' Tara Cobham2 May 2025 00:00 Such strong fires this early in year are unusual for Israel Israel often sees fires in the summertime, but such strong fires this early in the year are unusual. Many of Israel's forests are planted rather than natural. One of the organisations that manages Israel's forests said that the fires had perfect conditions to spread: a winter with little rain, hot and dry weather, and exceptionally strong winds that are shifting direction constantly. Tara Cobham1 May 2025 23:00 Bryony Gooch1 May 2025 22:00 Jerusalem wildfire in numbers 5,000 acres of land destroyed by the wildfires. At least 15 countries offering to send aid to Israel to quash the flames. At least 23 people treated by the Magen David Adom for smoke inhalation and burns as of Thursday morning. 21 firefighters slightly injured from fighting the blaze. Bryony Gooch1 May 2025 21:00
Arab News
01-05-2025
- Climate
- Arab News
Several countries send firefighting planes to Israel to help tackle major wildfire
JERUSALEM: Several countries were sending firefighting aircraft to Israel on Thursday as crews battled for a second day to extinguish a wildfire that had shut down a major highway linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and sent drivers scrambling from their cars. The fire broke out around midday on Wednesday, fueled by hot, dry conditions and fanned by strong winds that quickly whipped up the flames, burning through a pine forest. Several communities were evacuated as a precaution as the smoke turned the skies over Jerusalem gray. The fire has burned about 20 sq. km and is the most significant fire Israel has had in the past decade, according to Tal Volvovitch, a spokesperson for Israel's fire and rescue authority. She said the fire has 'miraculously' not damaged any homes. Israel's fire and rescue authority warned the public to stay away from parks or forests, and to be exceptionally careful while lighting barbecues. Thursday is Israel's Independence Day, which is typically marked with large family cookouts in parks and forests. At least 12 people were treated in hospitals on Wednesday, mainly due to smoke inhalation, while another 10 people were treated in the field, Magen David Adom Ambulance services said. Italy, Croatia, Spain, France, Ukraine, and Romania were sending planes to help battle the flames, while several other countries, including North Macedonia and Cyprus, were also sending water-dropping aircraft. Israeli authorities said 10 firefighting planes were operating on Thursday morning, with another eight aircraft to arrive during the day. Israel's fire and rescue authority lifted the evacuation order on approximately a dozen towns in the Jerusalem hills on Thursday. Three Catholic religious communities that were forced to evacuate from their properties on Wednesday could also return on Thursday, said Farid Jubran, the spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate. He said their agricultural lands, including vineyards and olive trees, suffered heavy damage, and some buildings were damaged. But there were no injuries, and historic churches were not affected. The main highway linking Jerusalem to Tel Aviv was opened again on Thursday, a day after the flames had encroached on the road, forcing drivers to abandon their cars and flee in terror. On Thursday morning, broad swathes of burned areas were visible from the highway, while pink anti-flame retardant dusted the top of burned trees and bushes. Smoke and the smell of fire hung heavy in the air. In 2010, a massive forest fire burned for four days on northern Israel's Mount Carmel, claiming 44 lives and destroying around 12,000 acres, much of it woodland.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Several countries sending firefighting planes to Israel to help tackle major wildfire
JERUSALEM: Several countries were sending firefighting aircraft to Israel on Thursday as crews battled for a second day to extinguish a wildfire that had shut down a major highway linking Tel Aviv and and sent drivers scrambling from their cars. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The fire broke out around midday in the hills outside Jerusalem on Wednesday, fuelled by hot, dry conditions and fanned by strong winds that quickly whipped up the flames burning through pine forests. Several communities were evacuated as a precaution as the smoke turned the skies over Jerusalem gray. Many of the country's independence day celebrations were cancelled as security forces were diverted towards the fire. The fire has burned about 20 square kilometres and is the most significant fire Israel has seen in the past decade, according to Tal Volvovitch, a spokesperson for Israel's fire and rescue authority. She said the fire has "miraculously" not damaged any homes. Israel's fire and rescue authority warned the public to stay away from parks or forests, and to be exceptionally careful while lighting barbecues. Thursday is Israel's Independence Day, which is typically marked with large family cookouts in parks and forests. At least 12 people were treated in hospitals on Wednesday, mainly due to smoke inhalation, while another 10 people were treated in the field, Magen David Adom Ambulance services said. Twenty firefighters have been lightly injured, Volvovitch said. Italy, Croatia, Spain, France, Ukraine, and Romania were sending planes to help battle the flames, while several other countries, including North Macedonia and Cyprus, were also sending water-dropping aircrafts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Israeli authorities said 10 firefighting planes were operating on Thursday morning, with another eight aircraft to arrive during the course of the day. Israel's fire and rescue authority lifted the evacuation order on approximately a dozen towns in the Jerusalem hills on Thursday. Three Catholic religious communities who were forced to evacuate from their properties on Wednesday were also able to return on Thursday, said Farid Jubran, the spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate. He said their agricultural lands, including vineyards and olive trees, suffered heavy damage, and some of the buildings were damaged. But there were no injuries, and historic churches were not affected. The main highway linking Jerusalem to Tel Aviv reopened on Thursday, a day after the flames had encroached on the road, forcing drivers to abandon their cars and flee in terror. On Thursday morning, broad swathes of burned areas were visible from the highway, while pink anti-flame retardant dusted the top of burned trees and bushes. Smoke and the smell of fire hung heavy in the air. Israel often sees fires in the summertime, but such strong fires this early in the year are unusual. Many of Israel's forests are planted rather than natural. One of the organisations that manages Israel's' forests said that the fires had perfect conditions to spread: a winter with little rain, hot and dry weather, and exceptionally strong winds that are shifting direction constantly. Anat Gold, the director of Israel's central region for the Jewish National Fund, known by its Hebrew acronym KKL, which manages forests, plants trees, and promotes settlement in the Holy Land, said the fire was mostly contained. But she added that workers were struggling to plow buffer zones and fire breaks as the same spots ignited repeatedly in the quickly changing winds. Gold said climate change, which has resulted in decreased rainfall in the region, contributed to the fire's ferocity. "Of course when there's a series of drought years, it's a fertile ground for fires," she said. In 2010, a massive forest fire burned for four days on northern Israel's Mount Carmel, claiming 44 lives and destroying around 12,000 acres, much of it woodland.
The Hill
01-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hill
Several countries sending firefighting planes to Israel to help tackle major wildfire
JERUSALEM (AP) — Several countries were sending firefighting aircraft to Israel on Thursday as crews battled for a second day to extinguish a wildfire that had shut down a major highway linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and sent drivers scrambling from their cars. The fire broke out around midday on Wednesday, fueled by hot, dry conditions and fanned by strong winds that quickly whipped up the flames burning through a pine forest. Several communities were evacuated as a precaution as the smoke turned the skies over Jerusalem gray. The fire has burned about 5,000 acres (20 square kilometers) and is the most significant fire Israel has had in the past decade, according to Tal Volvovitch, a spokesperson for Israel's fire and rescue authority. She said the fire has 'miraculously' not damaged any homes. Israel's fire and rescue authority warned the public to stay away from parks or forests, and to be exceptionally careful while lighting barbecues. Thursday is Israel's Independence Day, which is typically marked with large family cookouts in parks and forests. At least 12 people were treated in hospitals on Wednesday, mainly due to smoke inhalation, while another 10 people were treated in the field, Magen David Adom Ambulance services said. Italy, Croatia, Spain, France, Ukraine, and Romania were sending planes to help battle the flames, while several other countries, including North Macedonia and Cyprus, were also sending water-dropping aircraft. Israeli authorities said 10 firefighting planes were operating on Thursday morning, with another eight aircraft to arrive during the course of the day. Israel's fire and rescue authority lifted the evacuation order on approximately a dozen towns in the Jerusalem hills on Thursday. Three Catholic religious communities who were forced to evacuate from their properties on Wednesday were also able to return on Thursday, said Farid Jubran, the spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate. He said their agricultural lands, including vineyards and olive trees, suffered heavy damage, and some of the buildings were damaged. But there were no injuries, and historic churches were not affected. The main highway linking Jerusalem to Tel Aviv was opened again on Thursday, a day after the flames had encroached on the road, forcing drivers to abandon their cars and flee in terror. On Thursday morning, broad swathes of burned areas were visible from the highway, while pink anti-flame retardant dusted the top of burned trees and bushes. Smoke and the smell of fire hung heavy in the air. In 2010, a massive forest fire burned for four days on northern Israel's Mount Carmel, claiming 44 lives and destroying around 12,000 acres, much of it woodland.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Video of Pope Francis lamenting Gaza 'sad news' is from 2023
"Pope Francis used his last public address to call for a ceasefire in Gaza," says an April 21, 2025 post on X from far-right US influencer Jackson Hinkle, who has previously shared disinformation about the Israel-Hamas war and other conflicts. The video shows Pope Francis speaking from St Peter's Square about the death of two Christian women in the Gaza Strip -- a mother and daughter whom the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said were shot dead by an Israeli soldier on the grounds of the Palestinian territory's only Catholic Church. Similar posts spread across X, Instagram and Threads, after the Vatican announced April 21, 2025 that the 88-year-old Argentine reformer had died of a stroke. The video also circulated in Spanish. Pope Francis repeatedly denounced the war in Gaza that broke out following Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, a stance that strained relations with Israel but earned the pontiff tributes from Middle Eastern leaders and Arab movements following his death. He also regularly phoned a small Christian congregation in the besieged territory. On April 20, the day before he died, the pope condemned a "growing climate of anti-Semitism" while also reiterating his calls for a ceasefire. "I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation," he said in his Easter address, which was read by a collaborator as the pontiff sat in his wheelchair on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica (archived here). "I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace!" The video circulated online, however, does not show Pope Francis's Easter address. A reverse image search revealed that the footage -- in which the pope himself is speaking -- dates to December 17, 2023, when it appeared on the official Vatican News YouTube channel. (archived here). According to the Vatican's official English transcript of his remarks, the pope spoke at the end of the Angelus prayer about two women who died in the Gaza strip (archived here). "Let us not forget our brothers and sisters who are suffering because of war, in Ukraine, in Palestine and Israel, and in other conflict zones. As Christmas approaches, may the dedication to open paths of peace be strengthened," he began. "I continue to receive very serious and sad news about Gaza. Unarmed civilians are targets for bombs and shootings. And this happened even within the parish complex of the Holy Family, where there are no terrorists, but families, children, people who are sick and have disabilities, sisters. A mother and her daughter ... were killed, and other people wounded by snipers as they were going to the bathroom. The house of the Sisters of Mother Teresa was damaged and their generator was hit." Pope Francis also pressed for a ceasefire. AFP reported on his remarks at the time, which followed a statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem saying an Israeli sniper was responsible for the deaths. The Israeli army told AFP that it had been contacted by church representatives but that "no reports of a hit on the church, nor civilians being injured or killed, were raised." AFP has debunked other misinformation surrounding the pope's death here.
