A forest fire burn near Jerusalem (AP)

Wildfires raging near Jerusalem have prompted evacuations and closures as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the situation a national emergency, asking for international aid.

Videos and pictures on social media showed the fires burning along the main Route 1 Jerusalem to Tel Aviv highway, with thick smoke billowing over the surrounding hilltops.

Many people were seen abandoning their cars and running away from the flames, and at least a dozen have been hospitalised.

“This is perhaps the largest fire ever in the country,” Jerusalem’s district fire department commander Shmulik Friedman told reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

He warned that winds of 60 miles an hour were making the situation challenging and could dramatically increasing the risk of the fires “in the near future”.

“It will continue for a very long time. We are far from having control.”

Mr Netanyahu warned that the wildfires could reach Jerusalem.

“The western wind can push the fire easily toward the outskirts of (Jerusalem) – and even into the city itself,” he said in a video sent by his office.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared a “national emergency”, asking for international aid as a wildfire continues to rage near Jerusalem, prompting evacuations and closures.

“This is perhaps the largest fire ever in the country,” Jerusalem’s district fire department commander Shmulik Friedman told reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

Video footage showed vehicles stranded nearby as flames spread throughout the area, while another video showed the fire approaching a Catholic monastery.

After Israel’s appeal, Ukraine said it would send a plane to help fight the wildfires. Spain, France, Romania, Croatia, and Italy have also committed to sending planes.

Stuti Mishra1 May 2025 04:36