Israel scrambles for international aid as wildfires rage near Jerusalem
FM Sa’ar contacts over a dozen countries as flames threaten towns in one of the country’s worst blazes; Italy, Croatia, France, Spain and Romania to send planes
As wildfires raged in the Jerusalem hills on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar launched a sweeping diplomatic campaign, contacting over a dozen countries to request international firefighting assistance amid what officials described as one of the largest blazes in Israel’s history.
A statement from Sa’ar’s office said the minister had spoken with the foreign ministers of the UK, France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Argentina, Spain, North Macedonia and Azerbaijan, and Sa’ar reportedly reached out to more unspecified countries as the evening progressed.
The Prime Minister’s Office, the National Security Ministry, and the Foreign Ministry announced earlier in the day that Israel had also formally requested aid from Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Italy and Bulgaria as local resources strained to contain the rapidly spreading blazes.
The National Security Council (NSC) confirmed that three Canadair “Superscooper” planes from Italy and Croatia were on their way to assist in aerial firefighting operations.
Romania’s foreign minister informed Sa’ar that Bucharest would be sending two aircraft on Thursday — a firefighting plane and another for logistical support — to combat the fires, Sa’ar’s office announced in a later statement.
Later in the evening, Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told Sa’ar that Madrid would send two firefighting planes, and France said it would be sending one plane.
Additional countries expressed “willingness to assist,” including Ukraine and Ecuador, read the statement, adding that other nations had offered to send helicopters in support.
International firefighting teams were expected to begin operating on Thursday due to the inability of aerial firefighting aircraft to operate effectively at night.
Israel’s Elad aerial firefighting squadron and police helicopters worked throughout the day to combat the flames, while the Israel Air Force prepared to provide “immediate operational support” if required.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained closely involved in overseeing the emergency response. His office said he was receiving regular updates and conducting situational assessments with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and senior firefighting and security officials. Netanyahu later traveled to the national command center, responsible for coordinating the firefighting efforts.
The NSC also convened a meeting to assess international assistance efforts and plan for the expected arrival of foreign crews and aircraft.
The Palestinian Authority also offered to send its own firefighting teams to help combat the blazes near Jerusalem, according to a security source who spoke with The Times of Israel. As of publication, Israel had not yet officially responded to the offer. PA firefighting teams have previously assisted Israel during major wildfires, including in 2010 and 2016.
The Fire and Rescue Services’ Jerusalem District commander Shmulik Friedman said on Wednesday evening that firefighters still had a long way to go before the blazes would be contained.
“We are amidst a very large wildfire, maybe the largest there has ever been in this country,” he stated during a press conference in Eshtaol, near Jerusalem.
Several communities in the Jerusalem area were evacuated as a result of the blazes. Additionally, Route 1, the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, was closed, and police called on people to avoid the area. Nearby Route 3 was also closed, as were routes 65, 70 and 85.
The Times of Israel Community.