POPE LEO XIV
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About 7,000 people were evacuated from areas around Jerusalem on Wednesday, April 30, as a result of the worst wildfire in the country’s history.
By Thursday, however, the fire appeared to be under control, and a road connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem was reopened. Religious sites were not damaged in the blaze.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but authorities do not believe it was deliberately set.
"We are facing perhaps the biggest fire that has ever broken out in the country. We have no idea what caused it. After the first fires, arsonists lit several more in other locations," Jerusalem Fire Department commander Shmulik Friedman said on Israeli television on Wednesday.
The fire meant that Israel canceled its Independence Day celebration, and a state of emergency was declared.
"We are now in a national emergency, not just a local one,” said Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a video message on Wednesday, adding, “The priority right now is defending Jerusalem.”
A number of countries sent planes to Israel to assist with the firefighting efforts, reported the Associated Press.
Non-critical patients were evacuated from Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem, reported Vatican News. There have not been any deaths reported from the blaze, although "dozens" have been treated for smoke inhalation.
