13 Hospitalized in Massive Wildfires; 3 Arrested for Suspected Arson

Thirteen people have been hospitalized due to wildfires blazing throughout Israel Wednesday, according to Magen David Adom.

The majority of those injured suffered from smoke inhalation and burns. Among the hospitalized are two pregnant women and two infants—one approximately one month old and the other about six months old.

The injured were brought to Kaplan Medical Center and Shamir Medical Center.

Roughly 10 other people were treated by paramedics at the scene but did not require hospitalization.

Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem has begun discharging non-critical patients in anticipation of taking in victims from the fires threatening the Yerushalayim area, a hospital spokesperson confirmed to the Times of Israel. The facility is urging the public to avoid coming to Hadassah Ein Kerem unless “absolutely necessary,” the spokesperson adds.

Law enforcement officials have arrested a 50-year-old man from East Yerushalayim’s Umm Tuba neighborhood and two other unidentified suspects on suspicion of contributing to the fires. The arrest was made after a tip-off about the 50-year-old seen trying to ignite vegetation in southern Yerushalayim, a police spokesperson says. The suspect is now being interrogated at the Oz police station in East Yerushalayim.

According to police, the man attempted to flee but was apprehended following a short chase. Authorities say he was found in possession of a lighter, cotton wool, and other incendiary items.

Video footage depicts Israelis being evacuated toward Yerushalayim along Route 1 on the back of a tow truck. Additional clips show drivers abandoning their vehicles as flames approach the highway.

A Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson states that 24 firefighting units and four volunteer teams in northern Israel are actively working to suppress the fires, which are burning across the country.

While most of the fires began in open terrain, a blaze near Afula is threatening to reach Route 65 and several nearby buildings, the spokesperson says. Four other teams are engaged in tackling a fire near Ramat Zvi, which currently poses no threat to structures.

Earlier, five firefighting crews successfully contained a fire near Rumat al-Heib, a village located in the Lower Galilee.

Another 12 firefighting teams from northern Israel are making their way south to assist in combating the fires around Yerushalayim.

In the Central District, roads leading to the city of Elad, west of Yerushalayim, have been closed by police as flames spread in the area.

Amid the crisis, some Palestinian social media users have circulated calls for arson attacks within Israel, attempting to inflame the situation further. One post on the Hamas-linked Shehab channel reads: “There are popular calls to set fire to forests near the settlements.” A separate message circulated on Twitter says: “Your role is to set fire to gardens, vehicles, and everything around the settlements.”

Transportation Minister Miri Regev has canceled the planned Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony in Yerushalayim this evening.

A number of other municipalities, including Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, Modiin, Beersheba, Mevasseret Zion, Lod, Ariel, Ma’aleh Adumim, and Kiryat Ono, have also called off their scheduled celebrations.

The National Security Council has convened to discuss international support efforts for fighting the fires.

Three Canadair Superscooper firefighting aircraft are currently en route from Italy and Croatia, the NSC reports.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, C-130J Super Hercules transport planes—referred to as Shimshon in the military—will soon join the aerial firefighting efforts. Each aircraft is capable of carrying up to 18,000 liters (4,755 gallons) of fire retardant.

The Israeli Air Force has also dispatched ground firefighting units from its airbases. Helicopters from search-and-rescue Unit 669 are conducting aerial scans, supported by a Beechcraft King Air surveillance aircraft.

Israeli Police are also assisting, with IDF personnel at the ready should they be called.

The Home Front Command has mobilized 70 firefighters, two fire trucks, three water tankers, two heavy-duty engineering vehicles for clearing debris, and multiple search-and-rescue cadet squads.

In addition, the IDF’s Technological and Logistics Directorate has supplied more fire trucks and large containers holding over 100,000 liters of water.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is traveling to the main command center overseeing the firefighting operations, according to his spokesperson.