At least 20 people have been injured from smoke inhalation as Israeli authorities evacuated several towns and closed a major highway in central Israel amid wildfires caused by high temperatures, with Tel Aviv requesting international assistance to contain the rapidly spreading flames.
Israel's Channel 12 said on Wednesday the fires now exceed the scale of the devastating 2010 Mount Carmel forest fire.
Assaf Harofeh Hospital confirmed receiving 10 people for treatment, KAN added.
Earlier, Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth daily said that 12 people were injured in the raging fires.
Estimates from the Jewish National Fund indicated that the current wildfires in the West Jerusalem hills have destroyed approximately 2,891 acres of forest land, according to the newspaper.
A statement by the Fire and Rescue Service said many communities in several areas were evacuated.
The evacuations were triggered by raging fires that erupted in several areas due to soaring temperatures and strong winds as 111 firefighting teams and 11 aircraft battled to extinguish the flames.
KAN also reported a raging fire in the Eshtaol Forest between West Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
According to KAN, authorities issued instructions for possible evacuations of more communities due to the wildfires.
The Fire and Rescue Service raised its alert level to its highest point due to the raging fires and asked for international help to extinguish the flames between West Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Authorities also closed the main highway connecting the two cities as a precaution.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Italy and Croatia were expected to send three firefighting planes to help extinguish the flames.
Israel seeks foreign help
Israel has requested firefighting aircraft from Greece, Croatia, Italy and the Greek Cypriot Administration to help put out the fires, KAN said.
Channel 7 reported that air force bases are prepared to accommodate foreign militaries' firefighting planes if necessary.
Due to the fires, some train services were disrupted.
Meanwhile, Israel's Minister of Transport Miri Regev issued directions to concerned authorities that diesel-powered trains be prepared for deployment if the country's electrical grid is compromised by ongoing wildfires, Israeli Army Radio reported.
West Jerusalem District Fire Department Commander Shmulik Friedman said these wildfires may be "the largest in Israel’s history."
Defense Minister Israel Katz declared a nationwide state of emergency earlier in the day and ordered the army to assist firefighters in the West Jerusalem Hills region.
Channel 12 said that Israel canceled all scheduled Independence Day celebrations due to the massive wildfires.
Independence Day, marking the 1948 creation of Israel on historic Palestine, coincides with occupied Palestine's commemorations of the Nakba, referring to the mass forced expulsion of some 800,000 Palestinians during that period when Zionist gangs carried out massacres against civilians.​​​​​​​
Last week, Israeli authorities evacuated residents from several towns in central Israel amid widespread wildfires triggered by soaring temperatures and strong winds, which destroyed 2,471 acres and injured nine people.
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Source: TRT