Nov 27,2016

AMMAN — The Civil Defence Department (CDD) on Sunday announced that its cadres had helped put out the fires that erupted in several areas in Israel and the West Bank, responding to an official request the government had received, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The support is part of the “humanitarian and regional” efforts to which several countries in the region had contributed, including Egypt, Turkey and the Palestinian National Authority, especially since the fires are listed as a “natural disaster”, Petra reported.

Firefighters extinguished blazes ravaging Israel and West Bank settlements that forced tens of thousands to flee their homes and saw more than 20 people arrested, Agence France-Presse reported, quoting authorities as saying on Sunday.

Israeli firefighters had since Tuesday been battling wildfires throughout the country which on Thursday hit major city Haifa, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes, according to AFP.

Firefighting planes from Israel and countries including Russia, Turkey, Greece, France, Spain and Canada dumped tonnes of water and retardants on fires.

Palestinians had joined the efforts, sending 41 firefighters and eight trucks, AFP reported.

The Israeli authorities suspect that some of the fires may have been of criminal origin and linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Police arrested 23 suspects and interrogated another seven, AFP added.

http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/cdd-helps-putting-out-israel-west-bank-fires