Israeli Wild Fires Force Thousands to Flee Haifa

At least 16 people have been arrested across Israel and the West Bank on suspicion of arson after fires were started across the region near Israeli homes and settlements.

Israel’s police chief said arson was suspected in some cases and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said any such attacks would amount to terror.

Mr Netanyahu said arson appeared to be responsible for some fires and accused the alleged culprits of terrorism, pointing to celebrations in some Arab circles over the fires.

Netanyahu did not elaborate on the identity or motives of the suspected arsonists, but Israeli officials typically use the term “terror” to refer to Arab or Palestinian militant activity.

– “Fire intifada”? – ==================== Some Israeli media joined in, speculating on the possible emergence of a “fire intifada”, or Palestinian uprising, but Yediot Aharonot newspaper disapproved.

Israel accepted offers of firefighting help from Egypt and Jordan as blazes continued around the country.

Speculation in Israel quickly turned to how the fires were started.

Russia, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Croatia and Cyprus are all also helping fight the blaze, while America has agreed to send a Boeing 747 “Supertanker” firefighting plane.

Other right-wing leaders said the arsons were an act of terror and called on to cancel the citizenship of Arab arsonists.

The Haifa blaze was the most serious in a series of fires across the country in recent days.

An estimated 80,000 Israelis were evacuated from Haifa Thursday and some 600 homes destroyed by fire.

Descendants of Palestinians who remained on their land after the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, they largely identify themselves as Palestinians.

Unseasonably dry weather and easterly winds helped kindle the fires, which erupted on Tuesday and now stretch across half the country. “It is near schools, gas stations, and there are a lot of cars that are stuck in traffic jams as people try to leave Haifa”, Hamer said.

Fires burn in the horizon as firefighters battle to control a fire that broke out in the Israeli town of Nataf, west of the Arab Israeli town of Abu Ghosh, along the border with the occupied West Bank on November 25, 2016.

“It is unfortunate when elected official choose to enhance the division in Israeli society and add fuel to the fire”, said Israeli-Arab Knesset member Jamal Zahalka. Several adults and children were treated for smoke inhalation as thousands were evacuated from the city.

A spokesman for Israel’s Coast district police, which includes Haifa, told CNN early Friday afternoon local time that all Haifa residents were now free to return to their homes.

Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Thursday it was “quite clear that a good amount of the fires were caused by arson and, as the Prime Minister said, there is a new phenomenon of arson terrorism”.

Some Israeli media have speculated about a possible “fire intifada”, or uprising.