by Shlomo Cesana, Itsik Saban, Efart Forsher, Yori Yalon and Israel Hayom Staff
Some 23 arson, incitement suspects arrested as flames die down • Firefighters worked all weekend to put out massive fires in the Jerusalem area • PM Netanyahu, Public Security Minister Erdan vow to punish arsonists to full extent of law.
Some 2,500 firefighters have
worked to put out the flames over the last five days
|
Photo credit: Oren Ben Hakoon  |
After five days of blazes, firefighters are
putting out the last flames in a national emergency that left 180 people
injured and 560 homes burned. Some 2,500 firefighters have worked
tirelessly to put out the 630 fires started, using more than 1.5 million
tons of water and fire retardant.
The fires continued over the weekend, and
concerns remain that weather conditions and what has been called "arson
terrorism" may lead to new fires.
The weekly cabinet meeting is set to be held in Haifa Sunday, as the government continues to manage the crisis.
Some 23 suspects have been arrested on
suspicion of arson or incitement to arson, and more than 30 people have
been investigated since the first fires broke out.
The Israel Police and the Public Security
Ministry explained that the arrests were made possible with the
cooperation of the Israeli Air Force and Israel Fire and Rescue
Services. Over the weekend, a 22-year-old man from Nazareth was arrested
on suspicion of starting a fire in the city.
The remand of a 22-year-old arson suspect from
Kafr Kanna was extended by two days. The suspect is believed to have
started a fire in the Beit Keshet Forest. A 16-year-old from Sajur
suspected of setting a fire to a grove between Sajur and Beit Jann had
his remand extended by two days as well.
Meanwhile, a helicopter from the airborne
patrol and prevention unit found a fire in the Haruvit Forest on Sunday
morning. A firefighting team was called in to extinguish the flames. The
circumstances of the fire are being investigated.
Also on Sunday, a fire was reported in the
town of Anatot. Firefighters found two gas tanks burning on site. The
fire was extinguished without injury. At the same time, a fire was
discovered in a grove near Hadera. Firefighters had gained partial
control over the blaze on Sunday morning, saying it no longer posed a
danger to nearby buildings.
Upon touring burn sites Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured citizens that arsonists would be punished "to the full extent of the law."
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said that
the arsonists should be treated as terrorists and that "the arsonists
with nationalist motives should have their homes destroyed and we should
encourage their deportation from the country."
Furthermore, the Israel Fire and Rescue
Services investigative team found that the fire started in Zikhron
Yaakov was "definitely" started with "malicious" intent.
Fire investigation teams are assisted by
sniffer dogs, surveillance teams and helicopter crews, but, per Erdan's
instructions, police are focusing efforts on tracking down online incitement to arson.
IDF troops are also working to locate
arsonists. In recent days, security forces have arrested more than 10
suspects. On Friday night, they caught three suspects in a car with two
full bottles of gasoline, an empty bottle that had held gasoline, a bag
filled with cloth, gloves and matches.
On Saturday, IDF troops and police found a
suspect identified by an Israel Nature and Parks Authority ranger for
having set fire to a grove in the Gush Etzion region. On Thursday night,
they further caught three arson suspects at the entrance to Ariel.
Meanwhile, Judge Orit Lifshitz of the
Beersheba Magistrates' Court extended until Monday the remand of Anas
Abu Dabas, the nephew of an Islamic Movement official, who is suspected
of incitement to arson. According to police, Abu Dabas posted on
Facebook: "Fire has not yet reached some of the groves. We must call
upon our disturbed youth to do what must be done." Abu Dabas' attorney,
Eyal Avital, denies the accusations against his client.
Over the weekend, the fires spread to the
Jerusalem area, where a number of homes caught fire, but no serious
injuries were reported.
In Neve Tzuf, where there have been more than
20 arsons with nationalist motives reported in the past, residents were
already expecting fire when they were forced to evacuate Friday night
after a blaze near the community was reported. This time, too, the fire
is believed to have been nationalistically motivated arson.
The fire spread rapidly and was described as a
"catastrophe" by Judea and Samaria Fire and Rescue Spokesman Assaf
Averas. "When we entered the town, it looked like a bomb had gone off,"
he said. "A two-storey building was burning and the one behind it caught
fire in a domino effect. Gas tanks were blowing up and all you could
see everywhere you looked was fire -- giant balls of fire skipping from
building to building, to the cars, eating up everything and destroying
it. I haven't seen anything like that in a long time, and I was there
for the Carmel Forest fire."
With the help of volunteers are security
forces, firefighters managed to gain control over the blaze. Still, 15
homes were completely destroyed, and another 40 were damaged to varying
degrees.
On Saturday afternoon, Israel Electric
Corporation workers arrived at the town to help rebuild destroyed
infrastructure. The water system was also repaired on Saturday, as a few
residents returned to their homes.
Another major fire erupted in Nataf on Friday, where it
took firefighters 24 hours to put out the flames. There are suspicions
that the fire was started by Molotov cocktails thrown from a neighboring
village, but the cause of the fire has not yet been verified. Jerusalem
Police District Commander Yoram Halevy ordered increased patrols in the
area to help prevent arson attempts.
Shlomo Cesana, Itsik Saban, Efart Forsher, Yori Yalon and Israel Hayom Staff
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=38329
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