Jerusalem Hills

Planes work to put out a forest fire in Beit Meir outside Jerusalem, July 5, 2018 (Flash90)

July 8, 2018, 3:49 pm

Police check if Jerusalem blaze was caused by stray fire from army exercise

20 fire trucks and six firefighting planes fought to control major forest fire on Thursday

By TOI staff

Byzantine-era pools discovered at the site of Ein Hanya, near Jerusalem, and revealed to the public on January 31, 2018. (Assaf Peretz/Israel Antiquities Authority)

January 31, 2018, 4:13 pm

First Temple-era relics of possible royal estate found in Jerusalem hills

Authorities inaugurate ‘extraordinarily beautiful’ new site at Ein Hanya, where archaeologists reveal plethora of findings

By Michael Bachner

Gil and Jenna Lewinsky plan to open an ecological heritage park and educational farm for their 113 sheep, pictured here on January 15, 2017. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

February 1, 2017, 7:10 pm

After bleating a path to Israel, Jacob’s sheep frolic in new home

With flock’s 5,000-year exile and difficult quarantine beset by rains behind them, biblical sheep are baaaack in the Holy Land

By Melanie Lidman and Video by Luke Tress

Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan with representatives from the foreign firefighting teams at a ceremony to thank the firefighters for helping to extinguish the wave of fires that swept across. Israel. Tuesday, November 29, 2016. (Israel Police spokesman via Facebook)

November 29, 2016, 10:34 pm

Israel honors foreign firefighters for ‘bravery in our time of need’

That there were no deaths during last week’s wave of fires, says minister, was partly thanks to personnel from abroad who rushed to help

By TOI staff

A firefighter on November 26, 2016, surveys the remains of Rama's Kitchen restaurant, burned down a day earlier during a wildfire in Nataf, outside of Jerusalem (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

November 26, 2016, 10:13 pm

With fires largely under control, Israel sets up emergency fund for those affected

Finance minister allocates 2,500-shekel per-person stipend for those who can’t return to their homes due to blazes; arson probes continue as 30 suspects questioned

By TOI staff and Agencies

The 747 Supertanker helps to extinguish a forest fire which broke out near Nataf, outside Jerusalem on November 26, 2016. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

November 26, 2016, 5:06 pm

US supertanker among 29 aircraft battling blazes across Israel

Troops discover smoldering tires near fresh blaze in West Bank as arson probes continue; some 25 suspects arrested thus far; firefighters still putting out fires in Halamish

By TOI staff and Agencies

Fire burning in the West Bank settlement of Halamish on November 26, 2016 (Israel Fire and Rescue Services)

November 26, 2016, 1:33 pm

Fresh fires at Halamish; supertanker goes into action in Jerusalem hills

No rain expected for several days; some Israelis return to fire-hit homes to assess damage, including at Nataf; air pollution reported across country; arson probes continue

By TOI staff and Agencies

The scene of a fire that broke out in an apartment block in the West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumim in the early hours of November 26, 2016 (Magen David Adom)

November 26, 2016, 3:53 am

3 badly hurt in electrical fire at Ma’ale Adumim apartment block

12 people, including baby, suffer smoke inhalation before firefighters bring flames under control; blaze unrelated to ongoing wildfires

By TOI staff

Rama Ben Zvi walking amid the smoldering embers of her burned down restaurant, on Saturday, November 26 2016. (Screen capture Channel 2)

November 25, 2016, 11:07 pm

Owners mourn as Nataf restaurant burns, ‘but at least we’re alive’

Maya Ben Zvi says she told a wedding party celebrating at Rama’s Kitchen to flee moments before the eatery went up in flames

By TOI staff

Fire fighters try to extinguish a wildfire which broke out at the entrance to Nataf, in the Jerusalem hills, on November 25, 2016. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

November 25, 2016, 10:23 pm

Fire under control at Nataf; 10 homes consumed by flames at West Bank settlement

Village in Jerusalem hills remains off limits, as fire teams turn focus to Halamish settlement, evacuate all residents

By TOI staff

An Israeli firefighter inspects the damage at Beit Meir in the Jerusalem hills, on November 25, 2016. (AFP/Ahmad Gharabli)

November 25, 2016, 7:07 pm

Massive fire threatens homes at Jerusalem-area settlement

Firefighters race to douse flames spreading from Jerusalem hills to Mevo Horon in West Bank; blazes in southern, central Israel contained

By TOI staff

Fire fighters try to extinguish a blaze at Nataf, outside Jerusalem, on November 25, 2016. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

November 25, 2016, 4:07 pm

Blaze at Nataf contained after residents evacuated, restaurant destroyed

20 planes fight fires for hours; residents told not to come home Friday night; Rama’s Kitchen burns down after wedding guests urgently disperse

By TOI staff

Myrna Shiboleth and one of her Canaan dogs, Sha'ar Hagai, February 2016 (Joel Zand)

March 3, 2016, 1:23 pm

Facing eviction, breeder of Israel’s national dog hopes to be thrown a bone

Myrna Shiboleth, who has spent 46 years working with the Canaan breed, is pinning future on appeal in Israel Land Authority lawsuit

By Renee Ghert-Zand

Migrating Black Storks prepare to spend the night at a water reservoir before heading south at the Hula Lake in the Hula Valley (Photo by Kobi Gideon / FLASH90)

September 26, 2015, 3:16 pm

Anticipating Sukkot, Israelis hit the parks and forests

Tens of thousands visit the country’s nature reserves; some Kinneret beaches closed due to overcrowding

By TOI staff