Hezbollah ops force Israeli fire authority into recruitment spree

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
5 Nov 2024 21:52

The Israeli Fire Authority has initiated its largest recruitment drive, citing an urgent need to address extensive fires resulting from Hezbollah rockets and drones, which have burned over 54,000 acres since early October.

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A screengrab from a video shared by Israeli settlers showing the close uncontained fires resulting from Hezbollah operations in Upper al-Jalil on June 4, 2024. (Social media)

The Israeli Fire Authority has launched its largest-ever recruitment campaign, citing the urgent need to address the high number of fires caused by Hezbollah’s rockets and drones.

According to Israeli media website Walla, the Israeli occupation's Fire Authority began this extensive recruitment drive earlier this week, marking its most significant effort to date.

Israeli media reported that Hezbollah’s rockets and drones have ignited fires across 220,000 dunams, equivalent to 54,000 acres, since the start of Operation Al Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023.

Data from the Fire Authority, as reported by Israeli media shows that "80% of attacks targeting Israel have resulted in fires, mostly concentrated in the north, causing damages in the millions of shekels."

Walla also cited the Fire Commissioner, who said he "ordered the immediate recruitment of 300 firefighters due to urgent wartime needs," adding that "about 50% of Hezbollah’s rocket strikes have caused fires that took, on average, four hours to contain, requiring multiple teams to respond."

Rockets from Lebanon cause major fires, damage in North: Israeli media

70 to 80% of the rockets that have fallen in occupied Palestine have caused major fires, Israeli media highlighted on October 30, citing reports from firefighting authorities.

According to Israeli media, around 230,000 dunams of land in northern occupied Palestine have burned since the outbreak of the confrontations with Hezbollah.

Data shows that more than 175,000 dunams of natural areas have burned in the Upper al-Jalil and the occupied Syrian Golan region.

In the Lower al-Jalil, fires have ignited roughly 25,000 dunams of open areas and forests, while 9,000 dunams have burned in the Western al-Jalil and 722.8 dunams in the Hula Valley area.

Experts from the forestry department at the Keren Kayemeth organization told Israeli media that it will take between five to seven years to restore the damages.