Wildfires force evacuation of West Bank settlement

Multiple fires broke out on Saturday in the north of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, forcing the evacuation of one settlement and injuring at least two firefighters, according to police and rescue officials.

The first blaze was reported in the early afternoon west of the Palestinian city of Nablus in the settlement of Kedumim, where two neighbourhoods were evacuated. The fire later spread to the nearby settlement of Havat Gilad and intensified, forcing that settlement to be evacuated as well.

Israeli fire and rescue services said teams from several areas worked to put out hotspots. The response was supported by a reconnaissance helicopter and eight firefighting aircraft. The service said 13 homes and a lumber warehouse were destroyed.

Police said several roads were closed to keep emergency routes clear. Later in the evening, the fire and rescue service said several people with minor injuries and one person with moderate injuries had been taken to hospital for further treatment.

Havat Gilad is an outpost established in 2002 and retroactively authorised by the Israeli government in 2018. Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, are regarded as illegal under international law.

In a joint statement on Saturday evening, police and the fire service said they had begun investigating the circumstances of the outbreak. They said firefighters would stay in the area until all centres of combustion were fully extinguished.

Firefighters also reported wildfires on Saturday afternoon near the northern Israeli communities of Shimshit and Kfar Vradim, and on Mount Tabor. Early in the evening, the Fire and Rescue Authority said firefighters had gained control over all the fires in northern Israel.