Multiple wildfires erupted across the northern part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday, prompting emergency evacuations and significant property damage. The blazes first broke out during the early afternoon near the Palestinian city of Nablus, specifically targeting the illegal settlement of Kedumim, where residents were forced to evacuate two neighborhoods.
As the fire intensified, it spread to the neighboring illegal settlement of Havat Gilad, which was also evacuated. Havat Gilad, an outpost established in 2002, was retroactively authorized by the Israeli government in 2018. Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which has been occupied since 1967, are considered illegal.
Israeli fire and rescue services deployed a substantial response, utilizing a reconnaissance helicopter and eight firefighting aircraft to combat the flames. By the time the operation concluded, 13 homes and a lumber warehouse had been destroyed. Authorities reported that two firefighters sustained injuries during the efforts. Later in the evening, the service noted that several other individuals were transported to hospitals for medical treatment, with one person suffering moderate injuries and others treated for minor conditions.
To facilitate emergency operations, police closed various roads in the vicinity. Officials confirmed that they have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the start of the fires. While firefighting teams remained on-site to ensure all combustion centers were fully extinguished, the Fire and Rescue Authority announced by early evening that they had gained control over all fires in the region, including additional blazes reported near the illegal settler communities of Shimshit and Kfar Vradim, as well as on Mount Tabor.
