Israel is engulfed in wildfires, and international assistance has not yet arrived.

 

Israel is burning in a terrible fire. The fire has spread to the Route 1 highway from the country's commercial capital Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In this situation, international aid from neighboring countries Greece, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus and Bulgaria, including the world community, is unlikely to arrive until Thursday morning.

This information was reported by The Jerusalem Post in a report.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar is in constant contact with international counterparts. Among them, the emphasis is on European countries.

Sa'ar has spoken to the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Argentina, Spain, North Macedonia and Azerbaijan to help fight the fires.

“On the instructions of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ivan Anušić, a Canadian Air Force CL-415 aircraft, carrying a total of 11 members of the Croatian Armed Forces, will be sent to Israel to help extinguish the fire,” the country’s defense ministry said in a statement.

Help is expected to arrive first from Cyprus. Three Canadian aircraft are expected from Italy and Croatia.

The Spanish, French and Ukrainian foreign ministers have announced they will send aircraft to assist in the effort.

Firefighters have closed Highway 1 in Jerusalem to traffic and are trying to contain the fire, authorities said in a statement. The public has been urged to stay away from the area.

The report said 119 firefighters, 10 firefighting aircraft and a helicopter have been deployed to fight the fire. The Israeli Air Force and Unit 669 are also on standby to assist in controlling and monitoring the fire. Rescue workers have rescued nine people from vehicles trapped in heavy smoke. Three private cars are reported to be burning at the scene.

Authorities said the fire is spreading rapidly due to strong winds.