Israel seeks help from Azerbaijan and others to battle massive forest fires

Israel has formally requested international assistance, including from Azerbaijan, to help extinguish large-scale forest fires that erupted in western Jerusalem, according to Azernews, citing Spanish agency EFE.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced that he had reached out to his counterparts in Azerbaijan, Argentina, Great Britain, Greece, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Portugal, North Macedonia, France, Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Sweden to request aerial firefighting support as the fires continue to spread rapidly due to strong winds.

The blaze, which broke out Wednesday morning, has led to the evacuation of residents from several settlements and the temporary closure of major roads in the affected region.

Due to worsening weather conditions and fire risks, Independence Day celebrations in cities including Ashkelon, Beer Sheva, and Modiin have been canceled.

Nineteen people have required medical assistance for smoke inhalation, with 13 hospitalized, while previous reports had noted 12 injuries.

The Israeli government, in coordination with international partners and emergency services, is making urgent efforts to contain and extinguish the fires before they cause further harm.