The volunteer Golan Rescue Unit says it has rescued 17 people who entered closed-off areas in five separate operations since Thursday as temperatures soar to dangerously high levels.
Today, a helicopter was needed to evacuate a father who suffered heatstroke after entering the El Al Nature Reserve with his three children.
“This is an unnecessary risk to human life that required a complex helicopter and physical rescue by the rescue units and Nature and Parks Authority inspectors,” the Rescue Unit’s Yehuda Weinberg says. “We found the father in a condition that required helicopter evacuation. His children were instructed to leave the trail.”
Georgi Norkin, a Nature and Parks Authority inspector, says a number of hiking trails have been closed due to the heat wave, with those caught on them liable to be slapped with a NIS 1,460 (just under $430) fine.
“People are unnecessarily putting their lives at risk,” he says.
Temperatures in the Golan Heights climbed to 43° Celsius (110° Fahrenheit) on Monday, and are expected to continue rising over the next few days, according to the Israel Meteorological Service.
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From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 11, 2025
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