As wildfires raged in the Jerusalem hills on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar launched a sweeping diplomatic campaign, contacting over a dozen countries to request international firefighting assistance amid what officials described as one of the largest blazes in Israel’s history.
According to his office, Sa’ar spoke with the foreign ministers of the UK, France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Argentina, Spain, North Macedonia and Azerbaijan, reportedly reaching out to more unspecified countries as the evening progressed.
Earlier in the day, a joint statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Security Ministry and the Foreign Ministry announced that Israel had also formally requested aid from Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Italy and Bulgaria as local resources strained to contain the rapidly spreading blazes.
The National Security Council (NSC) confirmed that three Canadair “Superscooper” planes from Italy and Croatia were on their way to assist in aerial firefighting operations.
International firefighting teams were expected to begin operating on Thursday due to the inability of aerial firefighting aircraft to operate effectively at night.
A French diplomat told The Times of Israel Wednesday evening that Paris was “currently assessing how we can help in the best way possible.”
Israel’s Elad aerial firefighting squadron and police helicopters worked throughout the day to combat the flames, while the Israel Air Force prepared to provide “immediate operational support” if required.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained closely involved in overseeing the emergency response. His office said he was receiving regular updates and conducting situational assessments with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and senior firefighting and security officials. Netanyahu later traveled to the national command center, responsible for coordinating the firefighting efforts.
The NSC also convened a meeting to assess international assistance efforts and plan for the expected arrival of foreign crews and aircraft.
The Palestinian Authority also offered to send its own firefighting teams to help combat the blazes near Jerusalem, according to a security source who spoke with The Times of Israel. As of publication, Israel had not yet officially responded to the offer. PA firefighting teams have previously assisted Israel during major wildfires, including in 2010 and 2016.
The Fire and Rescue Services’ Jerusalem District commander Shmulik Friedman said on Wednesday evening that firefighters still had a long way to go before the blazes would be contained.
“We are amidst a very large wildfire, maybe the largest there has ever been in this country,” he stated during a press conference in Eshtaol, near Jerusalem.
Several communities in the Jerusalem area were evacuated as a result of the blazes. Additionally, Route 1, the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, was closed, and police called on people to avoid the area. Nearby Route 3 was also closed, as were routes 65, 70 and 85.