TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the wildfires that rage near Jerusalem could reach the city. He declared the situation in Israel a national emergency.
Netanyahu cautioned that the west winds could easily push the fire to the outskirts or even reach Jerusalem. "We need to bring as many fire engines as possible and create firebreaks well beyond the current fire lines... We are now in a national emergency, not just a local one," he said in a video statement. "The priority right now is defending Jerusalem," he added.
According to Al Monitor, thick smoke billowed over the highway near Jerusalem as firefighters rushed to control the forest fires. Several people were injured due to the fires. The military has been mobilized to assist.
Israeli rescue agency, Magen David Adom, reported that hundreds of civilians were threatened by the worst wildfires in years, with 23 people injured in the fires, 13 of whom were taken to the hospital. Among them were two pregnant women and two babies under one year old.
One Israeli resident, 40-year-old Yuval Aharoni, said they had known the fires were going to happen. "still we feel like they weren't ready enough with the big planes that can drop large amounts of water," Yuval said, as quoted from France 24.
Police closed the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway and evacuated residents along the route. Settlements inhabited by thousands of people have been evacuated.
"A lot of police arrived, a lot of firefighters, but it didn't really help. The fire had already completely taken over the whole area here," said another resident, Yosef Aaron, quoted as saying by CBS News.
Fire Chief Eyal Caspi warned that their aircraft cannot extinguish the wildfires due to weather conditions. "Our goal is to save lives. We are apparently facing the largest fire in Israel in a decade," he said.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir suggested that the fires may have been caused by deliberate arson. Police have arrested a resident of East Jerusalem who tried to set fire to an open field in the southern part of the city.
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