As Israel heads into Independence Day, the smell of fire and the thick grey smoke give a sense of unease, with multiple sources alleging terrorism and fear of major damage to the Armored Corps museum in Latrun, a significant memorial site
A massive wildfire broke out on Wednesday in Israel in the forests between Eshtaol and Latrun, west of Jerusalem, forcing evacuations and road closures as thousands gathered across the Jewish state for Memorial Day observances. Fanned by high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds, the fire, believed to have been set intentionally, spread rapidly through multiple locations across Israel.
“It’s a terror attack on Israel,” Eli Beer, president of the United Hatzalah emergency response organization, told The Media Line. He noted that fires were started in 20 separate locations. A security source also confirmed to The Media Line that a terrorist act was likely behind the fires, adding that several people had been arrested.
https://themedialine.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/FIre-Eli_Beer.m4aListen to Eli Beer, president of the United Hatzalah emergency response organization, speak with The Media Line’s Felice Friedson.
A map circulating in Israeli security circles depicts the locations of the fires, almost all of which are marked on the Israeli side of the Green Line separating the West Bank from Israel and Gaza—not in the areas inhabited by Palestinians. Hamas posted on social media a call for Palestinians in the West Bank and Israel to “burn whatever you can of groves, forests, and settler homes” and “set their cars ablaze.”
A map showing locations of the fires in Israel, all of which are located on the Israeli side of the Green Line or the border with Gaza. (Telegram)
Several individuals from East Jerusalem have been arrested by Israeli police on suspicion of attempting to ignite fires in the area, including a man in his 50s from Umm Tuba who was arrested after allegedly trying to set fire to an open field in southern Jerusalem.
When confronted by police, the suspect attempted to flee but was apprehended after a brief chase. Authorities found a lighter, cotton, and other incendiary materials in his possession.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Transportation Minister Israel Katz described the situation as a national emergency. On social media, Likud lawmaker Dan Illouz called for “an immediate closure of Judea and Samaria and an iron-fisted response” to the fires.
“We don’t wait for an attack—we thwart it,” he wrote. “We have learned the lesson, from both old and new history.”
In an interview with The Media Line, Chaim Rafalowski, disaster management and EU projects coordinator for Magen David Adom emergency services, described the situation as “very serious.” “We’re hoping that the National Fire Service will manage to get things under control so it doesn’t escalate into a full-blown disaster,” he said.
Authorities shut down major arteries including Highway 1, the main road connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and Highway 3. Drivers abandoned their cars and fled on foot as smoke engulfed the roads. “People found themselves in immediate danger as fires approached their vehicles,” Rafalowski said.
Beer described the sight of abandoned cars as reminiscent of scenes from the October 7, 2023, attacks.
“A lot of our volunteers were running through the cars to see if anyone’s there. We’re so happy to see that they were empty and no people were there. That was the happy part of it. But the sad part, it brought us back to October 7,” he said.
https://themedialine.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/WhatsApp-Video-2025-04-30-at-18.19.50.mp4
Police have evacuated six communities within a 19-mile radius of Jerusalem, while firefighters battled intense flames from the ground and air. Rafalowski said that the number of evacuated communities is expected to grow.
“These are preventive evacuations ordered when there is a clear threat,” he said.
Beer said that United Hatzalah helped to evacuate several schools, including special education institutions, and was preparing to evacuate an old age home.
Magen David Adom forces respond to the fires on April 30, 2025. (Magen David Adom)
“We’re not sure yet, but we may have big damages to the tank museum in Latrun, which is a memorial site where, unfortunately, so many soldiers are remembered in that place, soldiers from the different wars who fell in tank brigades,” he added. “We hope that it’s not as bad as it looks.”
A total of 111 firefighting crews, 10 water-dropping planes, two helicopters, and specialized vehicles were deployed. A central command post was set up in Latrun to coordinate the effort. According to Beer, around 400 United Hatzalah volunteers are currently helping, in addition to the 7,600 volunteers on call to deal with other emergencies.
“It’s incredible to see the amount of people who want to help,” Beer said. “We had special forces, the commander units from Maglan and Egoz, called the United Hatzalah center and asked us, they want to come help and they have hundreds of soldiers who are off duty for Independence Day from Gaza and other places and they want to come help with evacuation of people.”
Winds are expected to intensify, potentially reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour.
According to Rafalowski, the fires are not yet under control and will likely not be under control in the coming hours, “especially because winds are expected to intensify, potentially reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour.” He noted that Israel has requested that five EU countries send firefighting aircraft to help contain the blaze.
While Israel has firefighting planes, it does not have enough to handle the current situation, Rafalowski said. Beer added that the fact the fire was set intentionally was contributing to the difficulty of putting it out.
According to Magen David Adom, the organization’s paramedics brought 13 people to the hospital, most of whom were suffering from smoke inhalation. An additional 10 or so people were treated without requiring hospitalization.
Israel’s firefighting service is now working on establishing defensive lines to prevent the fire from spreading to more communities. “At the same time, we’re carrying out precautionary evacuations to make sure that, if God forbid the flames do reach these towns, there may be economic damage but no loss of life,” Rafalowski said.
We’re carrying out precautionary evacuations to make sure that, if God forbid the flames do reach these towns, there may be economic damage but no loss of life.
So far, the areas that have been evacuated are Nof Shalom, Beqo’a, Tzofit, Neve Shalom, Tarna, Canada Park, Moshav Eshtaol, Moshav Har Tuv, Moshav Ayalon, and the historic residential line in Beit Elad.
Israel has experience dealing with wildfires. The worst wildfires in the country’s history took place in 2010, when fires on Mount Carmel led to the death of 44 people.
“What’s different today is the combination of very strong winds and extreme heat,” Rafalowski said. “That’s something I think we’re seeing for the first time. According to the firefighters, this fire behaves very differently because it’s burning at the tops of the trees. Normally, wildfires burn on the ground—grass, brush, things at surface level. In this case, the flames are high up, which means they can leap long distances very quickly.”
The wildfire disrupted national events, forcing the cancellation of nearly every ceremony held in the afternoon or later, including the Latrun Memorial Day ceremony and Jerusalem’s main Independence Day celebration.
In response to the situation, the Defense Ministry has asked Israelis throughout the entire country to avoid visiting cemeteries.
The clear recommendation is for people to stay at home, minimize physical activity, stay hydrated, and avoid physical exertion. There will be other opportunities to pay our respects to the fallen. Today is simply not the right day.
“The clear recommendation is for people to stay at home, minimize physical activity, stay hydrated, and avoid physical exertion,” Rafalowski said. “There will be other opportunities to pay our respects to the fallen. Today is simply not the right day.”
A Magen David Adom vehicle on Highway 1, which was shut down as a result of the fires, April 30, 2025. (Magen David Adom)
Beer expressed hope that the fires will be controlled by tomorrow’s Independence Day celebrations. “We hope tomorrow will be a celebration of the victory over this terrible attack on Israel through the fires, and we will turn it not only to a celebration of Independence Day, but a celebration that no one’s life was taken by this fire,” he said.
Gabriel Colodro and Dario Sanchez contributed to this report.
