Twenty or so Israeli and Palestinian firefighters took part in a joint fire-fighting exercise at an Israeli academy in Rishon Letzion on Tuesday, according to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.
The firefighters engaged in “scenarios that simulate real-life situations” at the Israel Fire and Rescue Academy, as well as learned “new methods to deal with fires in buildings and cars, and ways to quickly rescue injured persons in blocked areas,” COGAT said in a statement.
Palestinian Authority Civil Defense chief Yousef Nassar also met on Sunday with Israel Fire and Rescue Services head Dedi Simchi at the latter’s office. The two discussed “future cooperative activities” and “innovations in the field of firefighting,” according to COGAT.
The statement quoted an official in the Defense Ministry who said the Palestinian and Israeli firefighters will continue to “take action to strengthen and improve [cooperation] with the clear goal of saving lives together.”
Palestinian and Israeli firefighters have joined forces numerous times in the past, In recent years, Palestinian firefighters have helped battle major flames in Israel, including ones in 2016 that destroyed and damaged homes in Haifa and the Jerusalem foothills.
