Israel are facing a national emergency as it battles some of the country’s worst forest fires in the last ten years. Toward the end of that month – on April 30, 2025 – fires were burning close to the central city of Bet Shemesh. Rising temperatures and high winds added fuel to the inferno, causing flames to quickly move through the forested land.
More than 200,000 residents have been forced to evacuate from at least five communities, resulting in a lack of peace and security for many. Police shut down the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway because of the dangerous conditions. Evacuations were ordered for people living in the path of this route. Brushfires quickly rekindled in parts still blackened from fires a full week before.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said that arson might be behind the fires. He assured that investigators for authorities on all levels are probing this very possibility fervently. He stressed that a tremendous relief effort is focused on helping the impacted regions and evacuating trapped civilians.
Fire Chief Eyal Caspi issued an update indicating that aerial firefighting efforts had been hampered by strong winds and dry weather, preventing the effective dropping of retardant. “Our aircraft can’t do anything right now due to the weather conditions… Our goal is to save lives,” Caspi said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been especially impassioned on the topic, calling the crisis a “national emergency.” He warned that the western winds could easily push the fire towards the outskirts of Jerusalem, potentially threatening urban areas. “The western wind can push the fire easily towards the outskirts of Jerusalem – and even into the city itself,” Netanyahu noted during a press briefing.
” 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 stated, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
The Israeli government has turned to its neighbors for help fighting the blazes. The foreign ministry then reached out to countries such as Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Italy and Bulgaria to request assistance. That’s why three firefighting aircraft—two from Italy and one from Croatia—are expected to arrive shortly to help boost firefighting efforts.
At the same time, authorities are on the lookout for possible criminal activity associated with the fires. Police arrested a resident of East Jerusalem after he attempted to ignite a field in the southern part of the city. With the potential for an arsonist to act amid the mayhem, this incident put everyone on edge.
The effects of these fires has been nothing short of catastrophic. Hundreds of civilians are now reportedly in danger, even as Jews in Israel celebrate the New Year, Israeli’s Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue agency today told world leaders. Local residents expressed their anger and disbelief at the lack of preparedness for events like this. “It’s just very sad because we knew the weather, we kind of knew that would happen and still we feel like they weren’t ready enough with the big planes that can drop large amounts of water,” said Yuval Aharoni.
As firefighters battle the blazes and authorities work on evacuations and aid, the safety of residents remains the top priority for officials. Firefighters are still working to extinguish what is expected to be the biggest fire in Israel in 10 years. That’s accelerating every day as they continue to face this monumental task.