The top floor of the late Israeli premier Yitzhak Rabin’s childhood home in Jerusalem has been gutted by a fire that broke out on Tuesday afternoon, according to the city’s fire deptartment.
Arson investigators are still investigating the cause of blaze, and have not ruled out any possibility yet.
“Firefighters succeeded at gaining control of the blaze and prevented it from spreading to the rest of the building. However, the fire, which broke out on the rooftop, completely destroyed the entire floor,” said a fire department spokesperson.
“This was a very intense fire,” said Battalion Chief Shlomi Harush. “When we arrived at the scene, we understood that it was the home where former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin grew up. The actions of the firefighters, who performed with expert professionalism, prevented the fire from spreading to other floors in the building.”
Rabin was born in Shaare Tzedek Hospital in Jerusalem in 1922, when it was still located on Jaffa Street in the building that later housed the Israel Broadcasting Authority.
