Hamas Urges Arson as Wildfires Grip Israel on Memorial Day
As wildfires swept through the Jerusalem hills and a national emergency was declared, Israel on Wednesday observed its annual Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror with nationwide sirens, official ceremonies, and moments of silence.
Hamas posted a message on Telegram on Wednesday afternoon urging Palestinians in Jerusalem and elsewhere to “burn whatever you can of groves, forests, cars, and settler homes,” to seek “revenge” for Gaza.
At 8 pm on Tuesday evening, a minute-long siren sounded across Israel, signaling the beginning of Yom HaZikaron, which commemorates soldiers killed in battle and victims of terrorism since the state’s founding in 1948. Israelis stopped in their tracks, cars halted on highways, and heads bowed in memory. The scene repeated itself with another siren, this time for two minutes, the following day at 11 am.
As the country paid tribute to the fallen, large brushfires burned through forests and communities west of Jerusalem. Fanned by high winds, the fires led to evacuations in several areas and the temporary closure of Route 1, the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The Defense Ministry declared a national emergency and urged the public to avoid military cemeteries. The military was deployed to assist firefighting teams. The blazes come just a week after another in the area consumed nearly 3,000 acres of forest and open land.
Arson suspect arrested as authorities probe whether massive fires were started on purpose
Police apprehend East Jerusalem man with lighter, cotton wool, flammable materials; right-wing officials urge West Bank lockdown amid Palestinian social media calls to start blazes
An arson suspect was arrested Wednesday, as authorities were probing whether major brush fires west of Jerusalem were started intentionally and as calls appeared on Palestinian social media to start more blazes. However, authorities said Wednesday evening it was too early to determine the cause of the fires.
A 50-year-old resident of East Jerusalem’s Umm Tuba neighborhood was arrested on suspicion of attempting to set fire to vegetation in southern Jerusalem, police said.
Law enforcement carried out the arrest after receiving a tip that someone had seen a person attempting to start a fire, a police spokesman said. The suspect was detained for questioning at the Oz police station in East Jerusalem.
Police said the suspect attempted to flee from police officers but was nabbed after a brief pursuit. Cops said they found a lighter, cotton wool and other flammable materials on his person.
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