24 nov 2016
For the third consecutive day, fire crews work around the clock to contain and extinguish a series of massive brush fires that broke out earlier this week; state of emergency declared in Haifa, with 13 neighborhoods being evacuated and all firefighting aircraft being scrambled to control the blaze that has forced the evacuation of thousands.
Firefighting forces and emergency services were working around the clock to put out fires across the country on Thursday for a third consecutive day.
A state of emergency was declared in Haifa as fires erupted and spread to several areas of the city, with over a dozen neighborhoods evacuated and firefighting aircraft scrambled to help put out the flames.
One hundred firefighting vehicles were deployed to the areas affected by the conflagration in Israel's third largest city, while the same number of people were reported injured.
Fires initially broke out in the northeast of the city near the Paz Bridge, which led to vehicles and buildings also catching fire. At the same time, additional fires near the Haifa Bay and the city stadium were reported. Fire crews were dispatched to the scenes, but high winds and dry conditions caused the fires to spread.
Some 350 firefighters and Home Front Command rescue personnel in 115 fire trucks worked to put out dozens of blazes across Haifa.
Overall 100 people in Haifa were suffering from smoke inhalation by the late afternoon and evacuated to Carmel Hospital, all in light condition apart from an 80-year-old woman who was in moderate condition.
Police ordered the immediate evacuation of residents of several neighborhoods in the city, including schools, public facilities, and other buildings. Classes at Haifa University were halted on Thursday and cancelled on Friday.
In an effort to provide assistance, various cities throughout Israel undertook efforts to establish absorption centers for the vast numbers of evacuees.
So serious had the situation became that the Israel Prison Service began evacuating facilities in the Carmel Region.
In the Jerusalem area, firefighters battled flames all night in the forest while trying to protect Neve Ilan, Highway 1 and vital installations of the Israel Electric Corporation.
The spreading fire halted traffic on Route 443 at Shilat Junction and caused residents in the area to remain indoors.
Six firefighters and two helicopters were scrambled to the Maccabim area checkpoint to stop the blaze from spreading towards a shopping center in Modi'in. However, despite efforts, a brushfire broke out in the parking lot of one of the Modi'in train stations, prompting authorities to close down both stations in the city.
Meanwhile, additional fires broke out in Savyon Junction, Hadera, Kibbutz Harel near Beit Shemesh, Oranit, Yitzhar, the Rishonim Interchange, Umm al-Fahm and areas near Yuvalim and Misgav in the north of the country.
The fire in Hadera broke out at a power station when dry a brush ignited, while fires approximately 300 meters from the settlement of Yitzhar prompted residents to assist firefighters in containing the blaze.
In an effort to help Israel contain the fires cropping up throughout the country, four firefighting aircraft arrived from Cyprus and Greece, while additional aircraft evetntually arrived from Russia, Turkey, the UK, Italy and Croatia.
The four aircraft arrived with 49 crew members and include one Air Tractor from Cyprus and two Bombardiers and one Hercules from Greece. The planes are expected to enter operations immediately and are prized due to their carrying capacity.
Moreover, it was reported that a Palestinian official also offered the assistance of the Palestinian Authortit to Israel.
The Prime Minister’s Office instructed the foreign ministry to to approach as many countries as possible and to request firefighting aircraft.
Israel also turned to the American company, Evergreen, which operates the 747 Supertanker—the largest aerial firefighter in the world with the ability to carry 94,850 liters of water. Indeed, the supertanker was brought to Israel during the Mount Carmel Forest Fires in 2010.
By the evening, Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed that the aircraft would be landing in Israel overnight.
In Oranit, a large forest fire broke out and spread in the direction of Nirit. Residents were been evacuated from their homes and 15 teams of fire crews have been called in to help contain the blaze. According to the police, by the early evening, authorities had blocked off the entrance to the settlement and a number of buildings had caught fire.
Earlier Thursday, the Firefighting and Rescue Commission initially allowed 60 families to return to their homes in the settlement of Talmon after they were evacuated during the night. However, following additional fires breaking out, citizens were evacuated once more following assessments on the intensity of the fire and the dangers of smoke inhalation. Additional assistance is in the area and firefighters have managed to take control of the inferno.
The IDF has already activated two reserve battalions of the Home Front Command's rescue forces to assist police and firefighters.
Furthermore, in light of the situation the IDF announced that soldiers would not be returning home for the weekend.
Evidence of arson
An initial investigation by the Fire & Rescue Authority on Thursday raised suspicions that at four areas of Haifa the fire was a result of arson. Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh said some of the cases of arson were likely nationalistically motivated and that arrests have been made. The Shin Bet was aiding the police in investigating the suspicions of nationalistically-motivated arson, while Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan instructed the police to monitor social media in an effort to identify those inciting arson.
“We need to prepare for a new type of terror,” he said on Thursday evening. “The terrorism of arsonist, which also comes from incitement on social media networks. We will be opening a special unit of investigation into the incidents.”
Ran Shalf, the head of the Fire & Rescue Authority's investigations department, said that 60-70 percent of the cases were arson while the rest were a result of negligence. "We're investigating ... there are cases, like in Dolev, where we see it's arson. There's physical evidence."
Thursday's weather is not expected to improve, as dry conditions and high winds make for a dangerous combination when it comes to brushfires. Furthermore, the extreme dry conditions are also prompting forecasters to speculate on possible dust storms.
Firefighting forces and emergency services were working around the clock to put out fires across the country on Thursday for a third consecutive day.
A state of emergency was declared in Haifa as fires erupted and spread to several areas of the city, with over a dozen neighborhoods evacuated and firefighting aircraft scrambled to help put out the flames.
One hundred firefighting vehicles were deployed to the areas affected by the conflagration in Israel's third largest city, while the same number of people were reported injured.
Fires initially broke out in the northeast of the city near the Paz Bridge, which led to vehicles and buildings also catching fire. At the same time, additional fires near the Haifa Bay and the city stadium were reported. Fire crews were dispatched to the scenes, but high winds and dry conditions caused the fires to spread.
Some 350 firefighters and Home Front Command rescue personnel in 115 fire trucks worked to put out dozens of blazes across Haifa.
Overall 100 people in Haifa were suffering from smoke inhalation by the late afternoon and evacuated to Carmel Hospital, all in light condition apart from an 80-year-old woman who was in moderate condition.
Police ordered the immediate evacuation of residents of several neighborhoods in the city, including schools, public facilities, and other buildings. Classes at Haifa University were halted on Thursday and cancelled on Friday.
In an effort to provide assistance, various cities throughout Israel undertook efforts to establish absorption centers for the vast numbers of evacuees.
So serious had the situation became that the Israel Prison Service began evacuating facilities in the Carmel Region.
In the Jerusalem area, firefighters battled flames all night in the forest while trying to protect Neve Ilan, Highway 1 and vital installations of the Israel Electric Corporation.
The spreading fire halted traffic on Route 443 at Shilat Junction and caused residents in the area to remain indoors.
Six firefighters and two helicopters were scrambled to the Maccabim area checkpoint to stop the blaze from spreading towards a shopping center in Modi'in. However, despite efforts, a brushfire broke out in the parking lot of one of the Modi'in train stations, prompting authorities to close down both stations in the city.
Meanwhile, additional fires broke out in Savyon Junction, Hadera, Kibbutz Harel near Beit Shemesh, Oranit, Yitzhar, the Rishonim Interchange, Umm al-Fahm and areas near Yuvalim and Misgav in the north of the country.
The fire in Hadera broke out at a power station when dry a brush ignited, while fires approximately 300 meters from the settlement of Yitzhar prompted residents to assist firefighters in containing the blaze.
In an effort to help Israel contain the fires cropping up throughout the country, four firefighting aircraft arrived from Cyprus and Greece, while additional aircraft evetntually arrived from Russia, Turkey, the UK, Italy and Croatia.
The four aircraft arrived with 49 crew members and include one Air Tractor from Cyprus and two Bombardiers and one Hercules from Greece. The planes are expected to enter operations immediately and are prized due to their carrying capacity.
Moreover, it was reported that a Palestinian official also offered the assistance of the Palestinian Authortit to Israel.
The Prime Minister’s Office instructed the foreign ministry to to approach as many countries as possible and to request firefighting aircraft.
Israel also turned to the American company, Evergreen, which operates the 747 Supertanker—the largest aerial firefighter in the world with the ability to carry 94,850 liters of water. Indeed, the supertanker was brought to Israel during the Mount Carmel Forest Fires in 2010.
By the evening, Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed that the aircraft would be landing in Israel overnight.
In Oranit, a large forest fire broke out and spread in the direction of Nirit. Residents were been evacuated from their homes and 15 teams of fire crews have been called in to help contain the blaze. According to the police, by the early evening, authorities had blocked off the entrance to the settlement and a number of buildings had caught fire.
Earlier Thursday, the Firefighting and Rescue Commission initially allowed 60 families to return to their homes in the settlement of Talmon after they were evacuated during the night. However, following additional fires breaking out, citizens were evacuated once more following assessments on the intensity of the fire and the dangers of smoke inhalation. Additional assistance is in the area and firefighters have managed to take control of the inferno.
The IDF has already activated two reserve battalions of the Home Front Command's rescue forces to assist police and firefighters.
Furthermore, in light of the situation the IDF announced that soldiers would not be returning home for the weekend.
Evidence of arson
An initial investigation by the Fire & Rescue Authority on Thursday raised suspicions that at four areas of Haifa the fire was a result of arson. Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh said some of the cases of arson were likely nationalistically motivated and that arrests have been made. The Shin Bet was aiding the police in investigating the suspicions of nationalistically-motivated arson, while Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan instructed the police to monitor social media in an effort to identify those inciting arson.
“We need to prepare for a new type of terror,” he said on Thursday evening. “The terrorism of arsonist, which also comes from incitement on social media networks. We will be opening a special unit of investigation into the incidents.”
Ran Shalf, the head of the Fire & Rescue Authority's investigations department, said that 60-70 percent of the cases were arson while the rest were a result of negligence. "We're investigating ... there are cases, like in Dolev, where we see it's arson. There's physical evidence."
Thursday's weather is not expected to improve, as dry conditions and high winds make for a dangerous combination when it comes to brushfires. Furthermore, the extreme dry conditions are also prompting forecasters to speculate on possible dust storms.
22 nov 2016
Israeli settlers, on Tuesday, set fire to a Palestinian-owned home in Masafer Yatta, to the south of Hebron, according to a local activist.
Rateb al-Jabour, coordinator of the popular committee against the separation wall and settlements, told WAFA correspondence that settlers from the illegal settlement of Beit Yatir, built on Palestinian-owned land, attacked the home of Mohammed Abu Qbaita with Molotov cocktails, setting fire to the house and causing financial damages to the house.
No one was physically injured in the attack.
Rateb al-Jabour, coordinator of the popular committee against the separation wall and settlements, told WAFA correspondence that settlers from the illegal settlement of Beit Yatir, built on Palestinian-owned land, attacked the home of Mohammed Abu Qbaita with Molotov cocktails, setting fire to the house and causing financial damages to the house.
No one was physically injured in the attack.
Entire town evacuated and homes catch fire as firefighters and rescue teams struggle to contain huge flames sweeping across Israel; fire services manage to extinguish the inferno in Atlit as the battle in Zikhron Ya'akov continues; weather forecasts warn that fires could intensify with expected winds of over 100km/h in coming days.
Firefighters and rescue teams were called to battle multiple fires which erupted throughout Tuesday, wreaking havoc across a number of different towns in Israel.
Zikhron Ya'akov fell prey to a raging fire in the afternoon in the Givat Eden neighborhood which threatened to thrust its ways toward residential buildings. One school was evacuated after a giant pall of smoke blackened the area while a number of buildings were also reported to have caught fire.
Eight people suffered smoke inhalation from the fire in Zikhron, among them a 10-day-old boy, seven-year-old girl, a four-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl, who were evacuated to the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, and four others—a 42-year-old woman, a 32-year old man, a seven-year-old boy and a 2.5-year-old girl—who received treatment at the scene. They were all in light condition. Several other were taken to the hospital throughout the course of the day.
Another fire simultaneously broke out in the coastal town of Atlit near Haifa prompting rescue teams to evacuated 200 children from a school dangerously close to the looming flames.
Hundreds of residents of Neve Shalom, near Latrun, were evacuated earlier from their homes following a forest fire raging in the area. The fire broke out overnight Monday and rapidly spread due to strong winds in the area. There are no reported injuries thus far.
Throughout Tuesday morning 60 teams of 140 firefighters, accompanied by aircraft, were still working to put out the blaze. While not all the fires had been extinguished by the morning, firefighters did manage to contain the flames in several areas.
Beit Shemesh Station Commander, Reuven Yitzhak, told Ynet that the cause of the fire is not yet known, but the difficult weather conditions and terrain have caused it to spread. Officials worry that dry conditions, unseasonably warm temperatures and strong winds will cause additional fires to break out.
As a result, Shimon Ben-Ner, Commissioner for Fire and Rescue, issued an order prohibiting the lighting of fires in open areas throughout the country, except for the areas south of the geographic line of Highway 25.
A spokesman for the Jerusalem District Police said that firefighters have succeeded in preventing the flames from reaching another nearby community where 270 people live. Firefighting efforts are currently concentrated in two main areas, Eshtaol Forest and the area near Taoz.
Jerusalem District Fire and Rescue Chief Nissim Twito said, "Jerusalem-area firefighters, with the assistance of other forces throughout the country, are currently fighting to put out a large fire that is endangering the outskirts of Neve Shalom. Our main objective at the moment is to control the fire and protect the homes of the community. We are working as fast to possible to minimize all damage to the forest and nature."
Firefighters and rescue teams were called to battle multiple fires which erupted throughout Tuesday, wreaking havoc across a number of different towns in Israel.
Zikhron Ya'akov fell prey to a raging fire in the afternoon in the Givat Eden neighborhood which threatened to thrust its ways toward residential buildings. One school was evacuated after a giant pall of smoke blackened the area while a number of buildings were also reported to have caught fire.
Eight people suffered smoke inhalation from the fire in Zikhron, among them a 10-day-old boy, seven-year-old girl, a four-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl, who were evacuated to the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, and four others—a 42-year-old woman, a 32-year old man, a seven-year-old boy and a 2.5-year-old girl—who received treatment at the scene. They were all in light condition. Several other were taken to the hospital throughout the course of the day.
Another fire simultaneously broke out in the coastal town of Atlit near Haifa prompting rescue teams to evacuated 200 children from a school dangerously close to the looming flames.
Hundreds of residents of Neve Shalom, near Latrun, were evacuated earlier from their homes following a forest fire raging in the area. The fire broke out overnight Monday and rapidly spread due to strong winds in the area. There are no reported injuries thus far.
Throughout Tuesday morning 60 teams of 140 firefighters, accompanied by aircraft, were still working to put out the blaze. While not all the fires had been extinguished by the morning, firefighters did manage to contain the flames in several areas.
Beit Shemesh Station Commander, Reuven Yitzhak, told Ynet that the cause of the fire is not yet known, but the difficult weather conditions and terrain have caused it to spread. Officials worry that dry conditions, unseasonably warm temperatures and strong winds will cause additional fires to break out.
As a result, Shimon Ben-Ner, Commissioner for Fire and Rescue, issued an order prohibiting the lighting of fires in open areas throughout the country, except for the areas south of the geographic line of Highway 25.
A spokesman for the Jerusalem District Police said that firefighters have succeeded in preventing the flames from reaching another nearby community where 270 people live. Firefighting efforts are currently concentrated in two main areas, Eshtaol Forest and the area near Taoz.
Jerusalem District Fire and Rescue Chief Nissim Twito said, "Jerusalem-area firefighters, with the assistance of other forces throughout the country, are currently fighting to put out a large fire that is endangering the outskirts of Neve Shalom. Our main objective at the moment is to control the fire and protect the homes of the community. We are working as fast to possible to minimize all damage to the forest and nature."
Residents of Neve Shalom forced to flee after fire breaks out overnight Monday and spreads due to strong winds in the area; scores of firefighters called to the scene to extinguish the inferno and contain its spreading; exact cause of the fire remains unknown and no injuries have been reported.
Hundreds of residents of Neve Shalom, near Latrun, have been evacuated from their homes following a forest fire raging in the area. The fire broke out overnight Monday and rapidly spread due to strong winds in the area. There are no reported injuries thus far.
Throughout Tuesday morning 60 teams of 140 firefighters, accompanied by aircraft, were still working to put out the blaze. While not all the fires had been extinguished by the morning, firefighters did manage to contain the flames in several areas.
Beit Shemesh Station Commander, Reuven Yitzhak, told Ynet that the cause of the fire is not yet known, but the difficult weather conditions and terrain have caused it to spread. Officials worry that dry conditions, unseasonably warm temperatures and strong winds will cause additional fires to break out.
As a result, Shimon Ben-Ner, Commissioner for Fire and Rescue, issued an order prohibiting the lighting of fires in open areas throughout the country, except for the areas south of the geographic line of Highway 25.
A spokesman for the Jerusalem District Police said that firefighters have succeeded in preventing the flames from reaching another nearby community where 270 people live. Firefighting efforts are currently concentrated in two main areas, Eshtaol Forest and the area near Taoz.
Jerusalem District Fire and Rescue Chief Nissim Twito said, "Jerusalem-area firefighters, with the assistance of other forces throughout the country, are currently fighting to put out a large fire that is endangering the outskirts of Neve Shalom. Our main objective at the moment is to control the fire and protect the homes of the community. We are working as fast to possible to minimize all damage to the forest and nature."
Hundreds of residents of Neve Shalom, near Latrun, have been evacuated from their homes following a forest fire raging in the area. The fire broke out overnight Monday and rapidly spread due to strong winds in the area. There are no reported injuries thus far.
Throughout Tuesday morning 60 teams of 140 firefighters, accompanied by aircraft, were still working to put out the blaze. While not all the fires had been extinguished by the morning, firefighters did manage to contain the flames in several areas.
Beit Shemesh Station Commander, Reuven Yitzhak, told Ynet that the cause of the fire is not yet known, but the difficult weather conditions and terrain have caused it to spread. Officials worry that dry conditions, unseasonably warm temperatures and strong winds will cause additional fires to break out.
As a result, Shimon Ben-Ner, Commissioner for Fire and Rescue, issued an order prohibiting the lighting of fires in open areas throughout the country, except for the areas south of the geographic line of Highway 25.
A spokesman for the Jerusalem District Police said that firefighters have succeeded in preventing the flames from reaching another nearby community where 270 people live. Firefighting efforts are currently concentrated in two main areas, Eshtaol Forest and the area near Taoz.
Jerusalem District Fire and Rescue Chief Nissim Twito said, "Jerusalem-area firefighters, with the assistance of other forces throughout the country, are currently fighting to put out a large fire that is endangering the outskirts of Neve Shalom. Our main objective at the moment is to control the fire and protect the homes of the community. We are working as fast to possible to minimize all damage to the forest and nature."
20 nov 2016
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed at dawn Sunday Palestinian homes in West Bank provinces and summoned civilians to questioning.
Local activist Moemen Azem said Israeli army patrols rolled into Sebastiya town, to the north of Nablus, at around 2 a.m. and wreaked havoc on civilian homes.
According to the activist, the campaign gave the impression of a large-scale Israeli military maneuver.
The IOF sealed off all accessroads out of and into the area and closed off al-Magharem thoroughfare.
The Israeli soldiers reportedly lowered the Palestinian flag from a high building in the archeological area.
Wildfires burst out in an olive grove during the assault.
The IOF further stormed Qaryout town, to the south, and showered civilian homes with heavy spates of teargas canisters and acoustic bombs.
According to the locals, a newly-appointed Israeli officer carried out the campaign to curry favor in the occupation government by terrorizing civilians.
An Israeli military troop also broke into al-Khalil and closed off the main entrances to the city.
Local activist Moemen Azem said Israeli army patrols rolled into Sebastiya town, to the north of Nablus, at around 2 a.m. and wreaked havoc on civilian homes.
According to the activist, the campaign gave the impression of a large-scale Israeli military maneuver.
The IOF sealed off all accessroads out of and into the area and closed off al-Magharem thoroughfare.
The Israeli soldiers reportedly lowered the Palestinian flag from a high building in the archeological area.
Wildfires burst out in an olive grove during the assault.
The IOF further stormed Qaryout town, to the south, and showered civilian homes with heavy spates of teargas canisters and acoustic bombs.
According to the locals, a newly-appointed Israeli officer carried out the campaign to curry favor in the occupation government by terrorizing civilians.
An Israeli military troop also broke into al-Khalil and closed off the main entrances to the city.
