Israel Welcomes Palestinian Aid in Controlling Jerusalem Wildfires

Israeli firefighters struggling to extinguish fires in Jerusalem mountains (AP)
Israeli firefighters struggling to extinguish fires in Jerusalem mountains (AP)
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Israel Welcomes Palestinian Aid in Controlling Jerusalem Wildfires

Israeli firefighters struggling to extinguish fires in Jerusalem mountains (AP)
Israeli firefighters struggling to extinguish fires in Jerusalem mountains (AP)

Israeli emergency and firefighting units could not contain the wildfires in Jerusalem for the third day in a row. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority (PA) sent two firefighting teams to assist Israeli first responders.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid sought to request international assistance to help in extinguishing the fire, and Turkey was quick to offer its service, which Tel Aviv rejected.

The fire authority stressed that it could put out the fires at this stage and was satisfied with the assistance of the Palestinian crews, which proved to be very effective in extinguishing the forest fire near Haifa 11 years ago.

Fire Chief Inspector General Dedi Simchi said he was optimistic that the fire would be under control and requested international aid to combat the massive wildfires.

Simchi also said the result of human activity caused the fire, noting: "We don’t know if this was negligence, malice, or arson, but we’ll continue investigating.”

Several right-wing members of the Knesset accused Palestinian parties of setting the fires.

The fire department canceled all holidays of about 100 crew members, who make up about 90 percent of the workforce. They were joined by several volunteers and the army who used its helicopters to put out the fires.

The fire burned over 20 square kilometers of forest, forcing hundreds of families to evacuate their homes in several communities just outside Jerusalem.

An ecologist with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Yariv Malichi, explained that the type of trees that the Jewish National Fund (JNF) planted in the Judean Hills is particularly susceptible to fire in dry climates.

“Pine trees are much more flammable because of their chemical composition. They are also very dry and tall,” noted Malichi.

He warned that the forests that the JNF planted at the beginning of the state are not suitable for the dry Mediterranean climate, describing these forests as “a ticking time bomb when it comes to fires.”

Malichi stressed that all the fires in Israel are caused by humans, intentionally or unintentionally, because there are many people roaming in the area.

Malichi explained that the area is full of wadis and deep valleys, creating what he called the “perfect conditions for a firestorm.”

Sources in the Arab villages near the fires reported that the Israeli authorities called on citizens to leave their homes for fear that the fire would approach them. But they refused.

Arab citizens feared history would repeat itself and they’d face the same situation as the Palestinian Nakba.



Israel Says No Humanitarian Aid will Enter Gaza

A wounded Palestinian girl stands amid the debris of her family home after overnight Israeli strikes - AFP
A wounded Palestinian girl stands amid the debris of her family home after overnight Israeli strikes - AFP
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Israel Says No Humanitarian Aid will Enter Gaza

A wounded Palestinian girl stands amid the debris of her family home after overnight Israeli strikes - AFP
A wounded Palestinian girl stands amid the debris of her family home after overnight Israeli strikes - AFP

Israel said Wednesday it would keep blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, where a relentless military offensive has turned the Palestinian territory into a "mass grave", a medical charity reported.

Air and ground attacks resumed across the Gaza Strip from March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas that had largely halted hostilities in the territory.

However, Israel has halted the entry of aid into Gaza since March 2, as the humanitarian crisis continues to grow amid ongoing military assaults which rescuers said killed at least 11 people Wednesday.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday Israel would continue preventing aid from entering the besieged territory of 2.4 million people.

"Israel's policy is clear: no humanitarian aid will enter Gaza, and blocking this aid is one of the main pressure levers preventing Hamas from using it as a tool with the population," Katz said in a statement, AFP reported.

"No one is currently planning to allow any humanitarian aid into Gaza, and there are no preparations to enable such aid."

Top Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have repeatedly cited military pressure as the only way to secure the release of the remaining 58 hostages held in Gaza.

Medical aid agency Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Israeli military operations and the blockage of aid had transformed Gaza into a graveyard for Palestinians and those who help them.

"Gaza has been turned into a mass grave of Palestinians and those coming to their assistance," said MSF coordinator Amande Bazerolle.

"With nowhere safe for Palestinians or those trying to help them, the humanitarian response is severely struggling under the weight of insecurity and critical supply shortages, leaving people with few, if any, options for accessing care," she said.

- 'Worst' humanitarian crisis -

The United Nations had warned on Monday that Gaza is facing its most severe humanitarian crisis since the war began in October 2023.

"The humanitarian situation is now likely the worst it has been in the 18 months since the outbreak of hostilities," said the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

In a statement, OCHA said no supplies had reached the territory for a month and a half, and medical supplies, fuel, water and other essentials are in short supply.

Israel tightly controls the entry of vital international aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced since the Israeli offensive resumed.

On April 28, the International Court of Justice is set to open hearings on Israel's humanitarian obligations towards Palestinians.

The UN General Assembly approved a resolution in December requesting that The Hague-based top court give an advisory opinion on the matter.

It calls on the ICJ to clarify what Israel is required to do to "ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population".

Although ICJ decisions are legally binding, the court has no concrete way of enforcing them. They increase the diplomatic pressure, however.

Israel continued to pound Gaza on Wednesday.