Firefighting teams in frontline communities in northern Israel are working around the clock to blazes set by falling rockets launched by Hezbollah in Lebanon to protect homes, property, and local plants and wildlife. To that end, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund has announced aid packages to support these teams.
Some 19 communities adjacent to KKL-JNF-managed forests will receive 13.6 million shekels ($3.67 million) in support, and an additional 36 communities near open areas will receive 5.5 million shekels (almost $1.5 million). In total, KKL-JNF’s aid to these communities will amount to 19.1 million ($5.15 million) shekels.
Some communities will also receive additional equipment, such as firefighting ATVs, to assist teams in battling the fires.
Since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas in southern Israel and the resulting war by Hezbollah against Israel’s north starting on Oct. 8, approximately 150,000 dunams (37,000 acres) have burned in the Golan Heights, Upper Galilee and Lower Galilee. Of these, some 83% consist of open areas, including grazing lands, while 25,000 dunams (a little more than 6,000 acres) are KKL-JNF-managed forests.
These fires represent the most extensive damage northern Israel has faced, especially when compared to the Second Lebanon War, during which around 7,000 dunams (1,700 acres) were burned. The intensity of the fighting in the north, coupled with the hot summer months, has left the entire region vulnerable to fires.
KKL-JNF has been working in full collaboration with Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services, setting up a command center using advanced technology, including cameras and drones, to monitor areas up to dozens of kilometers away. Firefighting and rescue teams, along with KKL-JNF employees, are dispatched based on these alerts.
Ifat Ovadia-Luski, KKL-JNF chairwoman, said: “We deeply value and appreciate the firefighting teams who work around the clock to face the numerous fires that directly threaten communities and the natural environment. The emergency response teams in these communities are also actively fighting the fires, risking their lives in the process.”
She noted that “our workers are on the ground in areas they know well, and the collaboration with local emergency response teams allows us to protect both the communities and the forests … with essential tools to help prevent the fires from spreading.”
Last week, KKL-JNF announced an allocation of 225 million shekels (more than $60 million) in emergency aid to local authorities in northern and southern Israel as the conflict along the country’s borders continues into its 11th month.
