Major emergency in Israel as wildfires rage near Tel Aviv and Jerusalem

Israel seeks foreign assistance to battle blazes that have injured at least a dozen people

A view shows wildfires near Latrun, as wildfires caused by extreme heat and winds broke out in central Israel, April 30, 2025 REUTERS/Oren Ben Hakoon ISRAEL OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN ISRAEL

A military aircraft drops fire retardant on fires near Jerusalem. Getty images

Al Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem. Smoke has drifted across the city as wildfires burn. AFP

A forest fire burns near Jerusalem. AP

People are evacuated from a motorway near the central Israeli town of Bet Shemesh. AFP

A plane uses fire retardant to extinguish flames near Jerusalem. AP

People affected by smoke near Bet Shemesh. AFP

Flames engulf trees near Bet Shemesh. AFP

A helicopter prepares to drop water on a forest fire in central Israel. AFP

Traffic grinds to a halt near Bet Shemesh. AFP

Major wildfires have broken out in Israel and the occupied West Bank, prompting authorities to call for international help and mobilise the military to combat the blazes.

Drivers were forced to abandon their cars on the motorway and ceremonies for Israel’s Independence Day were cancelled as flames tore across an area connecting Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Some people were seen escaping on the back of a tow truck as flames lapped the side of the road.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the fires could "easily" reach the outskirts of Jerusalem or even the city itself.

Israel’s fire service said the fires were concentrated in five hotspots: Canada Park, Latrun, Latrun Interchange, Mesilat Zion and Neve Shalom.

The ambulance service said 12 people were injured in the fires, some with burns but most suffering from smoke inhalation.

Israeli security and rescue personnel work near Latrun against wildfires that broke out in central Israel on Wednesday. Reuters

The fires were blamed on high winds and hot weather, although police arrested a man who was allegedly trying to set fire to a field south of Jerusalem. Police said the suspect was a man in his 50s from Umm Taba in East Jerusalem who was being questioned after he was found to be carrying "a lighter, cotton wool, and additional flammable materials".

The fire services said a dozen planes were in the air and more than 100 teams were on the ground to fight the blazes. Mr Netanyahu's office said he was holding situational assessments with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and senior emergency officials.

Italy and Greece said they were sending assistance to fight the fires.

Three Canadair firefighting aircraft will arrive in Israel from Italy and Croatia as soon as possible, the Prime Minister's Office said after a meeting of the National Security Council.

The foreign minister's office said Israel had also asked Cyprus for help.

The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, offered to help the firefighting effort, as has happened in previous instances. Many of the affected areas border Palestinian territory, where an Israeli military presence and a lack of resources could hamper an emergency response.