Israeli authorities responded to a possible infiltration in Geva Binyamin, a West Bank settlement, on Wednesday night, instructing residents to seek shelter and lock their doors. The Israeli military’s Home Front Command issued an alert saying, “Residents must immediately enter buildings and lock doors. Enter the protected space, close the door and stay below window level.” The circumstances surrounding the alert were not immediately disclosed.
The alert comes as fires continue to burn in the area around Jerusalem. According to the Jewish National Fund, 2,900 acres were burned today, with Canada Park near Latrun suffering extensive damage. Fire crews are working to contain the blazes, which came during a period of high temperatures and heightened security tensions.
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Authorities are investigating the cause of the fires, including the possibility of politically motivated arson. The Shin Bet internal security agency is involved in the probe, and one suspect from East Jerusalem has been arrested.
Shas party leader Aryeh Deri wrote on X that those responsible for the fires should be targeted with lethal force. “Arsonists during wartime are terrorists in every sense,” he wrote. “I call on the prime minister to instruct the IDF to eliminate from the air any terrorist identified as an arsonist.”
Deri added: “Whoever starts fires during a heatwave and war—their blood is on their own head. This is a ticking time bomb, just like someone who fires a weapon.”