Wildfires Rage in Israeli-Occupied Territories
AL-QUDS (Dispatches) – Firefighters have battled wildfires that scorched swathes of forests in central parts of the Israeli-occupied territories, forcing some small towns to be evacuated, during a heatwave that brought record temperatures to parts of the territory.
Rescue efforts focused on a wooded area between al-Quds and Tel Aviv, where ground teams and airplane tankers fought back the flames for hours. By nightfall, the fires were mostly under control, according to police.
Some 3,500 residents of small towns were evacuated, officials said. More than a dozen houses burned down, local media reported.
Al-Quds, which sits higher up on hilltops, recorded temperatures of 37.5 degrees Celsius (99.5 Fahrenheit). Moving west toward the Mediterranean, the heat grew much more stifling. One town near Tel Aviv hit 43.5 degrees Celsius, according to the Israel Meteorological Service.
Rescue efforts focused on a wooded area between al-Quds and Tel Aviv, where ground teams and airplane tankers fought back the flames for hours. By nightfall, the fires were mostly under control, according to police.
Some 3,500 residents of small towns were evacuated, officials said. More than a dozen houses burned down, local media reported.
Al-Quds, which sits higher up on hilltops, recorded temperatures of 37.5 degrees Celsius (99.5 Fahrenheit). Moving west toward the Mediterranean, the heat grew much more stifling. One town near Tel Aviv hit 43.5 degrees Celsius, according to the Israel Meteorological Service.