Fresh Flames of War: Israel Battles Largest Fires in its Modern History

What should have been a day of celebration for Israel’s Independence Day on Thursday morning, was overshadowed by distressing news of wildfires across the country. Reported to be among the largest in Israel’s history, firefighters and emergency teams rushed to fight the flames that broke out on Wednesday morning. The intense heat and fierce winds initiated immediate evacuations, road closures and the cancellation of celebrations across the country, including the official Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony.

Around 10 communities were evacuated from Neve Shalom, Beko’a, Ta’oz, and Nachshon and more, along with the military memorial in Latrun according to the Times of Israel. According to the Fire and Rescue Service, 163 firefighting teams were on the ground and 12 firefighting planes were dispatched by Wednesday evening to combat the out-of-control forest fires. Firefighter planes from Greece, Cyprus, Croatia and Italy were sent to help tackle the blaze alongside Israel’s emergency services.

After an intense 20 hours, firefighters began to gain control over the fast-spreading flames by Thursday evening. While dozens of Israeli residents were hurt, none are in serious condition. Miraculously, only a number of firefighters were lightly injured, with two hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

The fires have wrecked devastation across the hills surrounding Jerusalem, with 5,000 acres of land scorched, including 3,000 acres of forest. 

Police are said to have three suspects under custody for arson. Initial media reports say they were arrested within several hours of the fires. A police statement on Thursday afternoon revealed that two of the three detainees were residents of East Jerusalem. The first is a 19-year-old detained Thursday for taking to social media to share his wish that God should fan the flames as revenge for Israel’s “destruction of Muslim lands.” The second is a 50-year-old detained on Wednesday for allegedly lighting a fire in an open field in south Jerusalem. It remains unclear what the third detainee was accused of.

When the news of the fire first broke and the skies of Jerusalem became dark with smoke, many of us at Bridges of Peace lifted up prayers for rain alongside the people of Israel. We all breathed a sigh of relief when our prayers were answered with rain showers around Wednesday evening in several locations, including the western Negev. While the rain was certainly an encouraging blessing, it was sadly not widespread enough to reduce the overall risk of the fires.

An unusually dry winter coupled with extremely high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity have all created the perfect storm, meteorologist Oren Davidov of the Meteorological Service told the Jerusalem Post. Firefighters remain in close contact with the Meteorological Service in a bid to contain the crisis and ensure no further outbreaks.

While investigations are still ongoing to determine the cause, authorities believe the devastating fires were the result of terrorist arson attacks. Before the flames, Israel was already facing a tremendous crisis fighting the longest war in its modern history. To make matters worse, social media has been flooded with Palestinians calling on their brethren to ignite even more bushfires around Israel. Hamas, the terror organization ruling the Gaza Strip, broadcast an official clarion call to Palestinians in Israel to burn the country to the ground.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unmasked the evil behind this call. “Our neighbors, who claim they love this land, talk about burning the land.”

Netanyahu’s claim certainly holds true and reveals a glaring issue in the Palestinian narrative. The Palestinians repeatedly cry out that the land belongs to them, yet if you love the land, why burn it?

Bridges for Peace has responded to the fire crisis by partnering with our friends at the Shalva National Center to assist Israelis with special needs being evacuated from their communities. These precious Israelis feel the trauma of displacement keenly and need all the help they can get.

More than ever, we call on Christians from around the world to show their support for Israel during this time of double crisis. Let’s show our Jewish brothers and sisters that we are people of prayer, support and action. Your donation to our Crisis Fund will serve as a tangible blessing demonstrating to Israelis that they are indeed not alone.