Others Come to Israel’s Aid against Wildfires

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu says Egypt is among several countries that have sent or are sending special aircraft to help the Jewish state battle a spate of wildfires as it faces withering – and in some cases record high – temperatures. The fires have burned thousands of acres of land in numerous locations around the country, in one case destroying most of a rural community about half-way between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Hundreds of families were warned to evacuate elsewhere as well. The other four countries to send firefighting aircraft are Croatia, Cyprus, Greece and Italy. Netanyahu said both the Palestinian Authority and Russia had offered help, too. Some of the fires that broke out on Wednesday and Thursday along Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip were caused by helium-filled incendiary balloons released into the air within the coastal enclave before floating eastward toward Israeli territory.