A major fire broke out in the Judean Hills on Wednesday morning and has spread across the Jerusalem area, Israel's Fire and Rescue Authority reported. Fire and Rescue Commissioner, Eyal Caspi, announced the authority's alert level has been raised to the highest level.
Firefighters have closed Highway 1 in Jerusalem to traffic and are attempting to contain the fire there, the authority said in a statement. The public has been urged to stay away from the area, and people have begun abandoning their cars on the road.
An appeal has been made by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar for international assistance from neighboring countries Greece, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus and Bulgaria.
Assistance is not currently expected to arrive before nightfall.
United Hatzalah said it has provided medical treatment to over 30 people who suffered mild to moderate smoke inhalation, some of whom received oxygen support. Most were not evacuated to hospitals.
Seven people have been injured due to the ongoing wildfire, with six in mild condition and one in moderate condition, according to a Maariv report. Among them are a 36-year-old man with burns, a 34-year-old woman, and two infants around one year old, all suffering from smoke inhalation, the report added.
Since then MDA has evacuated 13 people to the hospital for burns and smoke inhalation. This number included two infants and two pregnant women.
Around 119 fire crews, 10 firefighting planes, and a helicopter have been deployed to extinguish the blaze. The Israel Air Force and Unit 669 are also on standby to help monitor and combat the fire. Rescue workers have rescued nine people from vehicles caught in the heavy smoke. Three private vehicles are burning at the scene without any trapped individuals.
Zaka volunteers along with their jeep unit have been deployed to command centers and multiple wildfire sites in the last few hours. They are working in tandem with security and rescue forces to assist as needed
Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is en route to the area of the fires.
The authority noted that strong winds in the area are contributing to the rapid spread of the fire.
Police forces from the Mateh Yehuda Regional Council station were working to evacuate nearby Neve Shalom.
Additionally, fires are currently raging in several sites in Ashdod, Masuot Yitzhak, Shafir, and Kfar Warburg.
In Masuot Yitzhak, firefighters are working at the scene in coordination with heavy machinery to contain the fire and prevent damage to agricultural land and the surrounding area.
The fire authority spokesperson added that the operations are challenging due to hot weather conditions and shifting winds. Magen David Adom additionally stated that it is on high alert.
Defense Minister Yisrael Katz turned to IDF Chief Eyal Zamir and instructed the IDF to make every effort to assist the firefighting forces: "We are in a time of national emergency and all possible forces must be mobilized to save lives and control the fires."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir instructed the IDF to send helicopters to rescue people from Highway 1. He said, "I asked for as many helicopters as possible. There is a section of road that we understand has a problem."
Evacuations are being carried out in accordance with an ongoing situation assessment. High air pollution is expected across the country.
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Risk of fire spreading
KKL-JNF fire brigades are also on the scene, trying to contain the fire from spreading towards the settlements.
Due to the fire, the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Latrun memorial site has been stopped, and police have worked to clear crowds from the area.
The wildfire comes just a week after a massive wildfire event in the same area, which consumed about 10,000 dunams (2,470 acres) of natural forest, woodland, and open area.
Eshtaol Forest comprises around 12,000 dunams of land (4.5 square miles) near Beit Shemesh. To the east of the forest is Forest of the Martyrs, which was planted as a memorial to those who died in the Holocaust and contains six million trees, symbolizing the six million Jews who were killed.
Amichai Stein contributed to this report.