Wildfires in Israel destroy homes and force evacuations
Emergency services are tackling blazes which started in the Carmel Forest, sparked by dry conditions and high winds
Fires throughout Israel, fanned by dry conditions and high winds, have led to the evacuation of thousands of people from their homes.
Several homes have been destroyed by the conflagrations on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A brush fire that began Tuesday and spread to Zichron Yaakov, located at the southern tip of the Carmel Forest in northern Israel, continued to burn on Wednesday, destroying at least 10 homes and damaging dozens more. Several adults and children were treated for smoke inhalation as thousands were evacuated from the city.
At least 30 firefighting teams, 12 military firefighting units and four planes were working on Wednesday to control the blaze.
Also on Wednesday, firefighting teams were battling fires outside of Jerusalem near Beit Shemesh and near the West Bank settlement of Dolev, northwest of Jerusalem.
Early Tuesday, the Arab and Jewish residents of the Neve Shalom coexistence community located on the outskirts of Jerusalem were evacuated after a forest fire burning out of control set fire to areas of the community.
Several other fires were reported in Israel’s north and in the Etzion Bloc south of Jerusalem.
Police are investigating whether some of the fires are a result of arson.
High levels of pollution have been measured in the areas near the fires.
High winds are expected throughout Israel through Thursday with dry conditions continuing.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
