Hundreds of Fires in Israel, Many Deliberately Set by Arabs

According to the released data, about 255 fires broke out across Israel over the past day, including 196 fires in open areas, and 59 in urban areas. Firefighting planes operated in ten different locations, with 11 planes focusing on a fire set by Arabs near a military base in the Jordan Valley.

Over the past four days, 71 fires have erupted in Judea, Samaria, Benjamin and the Jordan Valley, of which many were deliberately set by Arabs.

Dozens of acres of pasture have been completely scorched, inflicting an immense economic damage on area farmers.

On Wednesday, fires raged near Mount Bracha in Samaria, near the military base in Bach 900 in the Jordan Valley, where so many firefighting aircraft where used. At one point, the fire even penetrated the IDF base and firefighters used IDF water tankers at the base to extinguish the fire. Another fire raged near the Roi settlement in the Jordan Valley, which involved 7 firefighting planes. Additional fires raged near Amichai, and near Shiloh.

On Tuesday, fire crews were working on a fire that was set by a Molotov cocktail thrown by Arabs near the Karmei Tzur settlement in Gush Etzion, causing four fires points. A similar event took place near the Beit Hagai and Othniel settlements.

Originally published in Hakol Hayehudi (מאות שריפות ביממה האחרונה; עשרות הוצתו במכוון)