ISRAEL is facing a “national emergency” as rapidly spreading wildfires burn towards Jerusalem.
Cops have arrested 18 suspects on suspicion of arson following the monster inferno.
YouTubeIsrael is facing a “national emergency” as rapidly spreading wildfires burn towards Jerusalem[/caption]
YouTubeTerrified drivers were forced to abandon their vehicles after the flames reached the highway[/caption]
EPAThe fires are the worst Israel has faced in years[/caption]
GettyFirefighters work at the scene[/caption]
Shocking footage shows thick black smoke above the main highway linking Jerusalem to Tel Aviv as firefighters race to control the blaze.
Terrified drivers can be seen scrambling to get out of their vehicles as they flee the horror scene.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, warned that the fires could reach the city and declared a “national emergency”.
Netanyahu said: “The western wind can push the fire easily towards the outskirts of [Jerusalem] – and even into the city itself.
“We need to bring as many fire engines as possible and create firebreaks well beyond the current fire lines … We are now in a national emergency, not just a local one.”
At least 12 people were treated in hospitals on Wednesday after inhaling smoke while another 10 people were treated in the field, according to Israeli emergency services.
Among them were two pregnant women and two infants under a year old.
18 people have been arrested on suspicion of arson, according to Netanyahu.
National security minister Itamar Ben Gvir also hinted that arson could be behind the fires.
Cops said they had arrested a resident of east Jerusalem who was caught “attempting to set fire to a field in the southern part of the city”.
The fire broke out around midday on Wednesday.
The flames quickly spread through a pine forest due to hot, dry conditions and strong winds.
Several communities were evacuated as a precaution as the smoke took over the area.
The fire has now burned about 5,000 acres making it the worst fire Israel has had in the past decade.
A spokesperson for Israels fire and rescue authority Tal Volvovitch said the fire has thankfully not damaged any homes.
The highway was reopened on Thursday and evacuation orders were lifted for a number of towns in the Jerusalem hills.
But efforts to extinguish the fires continue.
Israeli authorities said that ten firefighting planes were operating on Thursday morning.
They added that another eight aircraft to arrive during the course of the day.
Italy, Croatia, Spain, France, Ukraine, and Romania have all sent planes to help battle the flames, while North Macedonia and Cyprus have sent water-dropping aircraft.
The last time Israel saw fires like this was in 2010 when a massive forest fire burned for four days on northern Israels Mount Carmel.
The fires claimed 44 lives and destroyed around 12,000 acres of land.
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