Massive Wildfires Rage in Occupied Jerusalem, Israel Declares National Emergency
Occupied Jerusalem (Quds News Network)- Wildfires swept through the hills of the occupied Palestinian capital city of Jerusalem on Wednesday, choking the skies with smoke and forcing thousands of Israeli settlers to evacuate. At least 12 slcolonial settlers suffered from smoke inhalation, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
The flames reached a major highway, and firefighting planes flew overhead in a desperate attempt to contain the blaze. Israeli media said some fire crews became trapped west of the occupied city as strong winds fueled the flames.
Authorities evacuated eight settlements near Jerusalem. The fires also forced Israel to halt all train traffic between the city and Ben Gurion International Airport.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz called it a national emergency. He ordered the military to support civilian firefighting teams. A special army unit was placed on high alert to rescue settlers trapped by fire.
Israel asked five countries—including Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, and Italy—for help. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that three firefighting aircraft from Italy and Croatia are on their way.
The Palestinian Authority offered to help the occupation state fight the fires near the settlements, according to Israeli channel Kan. Israel has not yet responded to the offer.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Fire Service said full containment might not be possible until Thursday morning.
The head of the Israeli firefighting team in the occupied city told Israeli media: “We are still far from controlling this massive blaze. It could be the largest in Israel’s history.”
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir rushed to accuse native Palestinians of arson—despite no official investigation into the cause. He called for the death penalty for “those trying to burn thousands of civilians.”
The cause of the fire remains unknown. The Israeli army’s Home Front Command said, “We still don’t know how this fire started.”
Meanwhile, Israel continues to carry a genocide in Gaza.
As of this afternoon, the Ministry of Health announced that Israel killed 35 Palestinians in Gaza just today and injured 109 others, most of them women and children.
