UPDATE – Israel evacuates several towns, calls for international help to fight wildfires caused by heat wave

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK

By Ahmed Asmar and Mohammad Sio

ANKARA / ISTANBUL (AA) – Israeli authorities evacuated several towns and closed a major highway in central Israel on Wednesday amid wildfires caused by high temperatures, with Tel Aviv calling for international assistance to contain the rapidly spreading flames.

A statement by the Fire and Rescue Service said the communities of Neveh Shalom, Beko'a, Ta'oz, Nachshon, and Mesilat Tzion were evacuated.

The evacuations were triggered by raging fires that erupted in several areas due to soaring temperatures and strong winds as 111 firefighting teams and 11 aircraft battled to extinguish the flames.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN also reported a raging fire in the Eshtaol Forest area between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

According to KAN, authorities issued instructions for possible evacuations of more communities due to the wildfires.

The Fire and Rescue Service raised its alert level to its highest due to the raging fires and asked for international help to extinguish the flames between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Authorities also closed the main highway connecting the two cities as a precaution.

Israel has requested firefighting aircraft from Greece, Croatia, Italy, and the Greek Cypriot Administration to help extinguish the fires between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, KAN said.

Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth said 12 people were injured in the raging fires.

Last week, Israeli rescue authorities evacuated residents from several towns in central Israel amid widespread wildfires triggered by soaring temperatures and strong winds, which destroyed 10,000 dunums (2,500 acres) and injured nine people.