Israel in flames, the hand of Hamas and Islamic jihad: national emergency declared

Arson fires around Jerusalem and along the highway to Tel Aviv. Katz proclaims emergency, Shin Bet investigates. Aid arrives from Italy and Croatia

Israel faces a wave of fires that has forced the government to declare a national emergency. The flames, which spread from the woods around Jerusalem and reached as far as the highway connecting the capital to Tel Aviv, led to the cancellation of all Independence Day events. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant ordered the deployment of additional forces, while the Shin Bet is cooperating with the police to investigate possible arson coordination behind the fires.

According to reports in the Times of Israel, the internal security agency is also investigating the role of Hamas, after numerous messages inciting arson devastation appeared on social media and Telegram. One of these, posted on the group’s official channel, reads: ‘Burn Israel, the forests, the settlers’ homes, everything you can’. The appeal was addressed to young people in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Palestinians living in Israel, with the declared aim of ‘avenging Gaza’.

Other channels linked to the radical Palestinian milieu also relaunched similar messages, publishing images and slogans such as ‘the settlers’ houses will be ashes under the feet of revolutionaries’ and inciting the use of Molotov cocktails and targeted fires against settlements. On social media, the campaign has been dubbed ‘Flames of the Flood’, recalling the 7 October attack that Hamas called the ‘Flood of Al-Aqsa’.

Three people suspected of setting some of the fires have already been arrested. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the imminent arrival of three Canadair fire-fighting planes from Italy and Croatia. An appeal for international help was also made to Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria, while the government suspended public demonstrations and ceremonies, including those promoted by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

The Israeli authorities do not rule out that the wave of fires may represent a new form of coordinated environmental terrorism, while the national fire-fighting unit works tirelessly to contain the still active fronts.

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