Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that 18 people suspected of arson in the massive fires that spread throughout Israel on Wednesday have been arrested. Speaking at the annual Tanach Quiz held on Yom Ha’atzmaut, Netanyahu said: “There are natural disasters, there are also man-made disasters. We’re currently holding 18 people suspected of arson, one of whom was caught in the act.” “Our neighbors who claim they love this land are inciting to burn it. We are the ones who truly love it,” he emphasized. “We love the land. We protect the country. I’m confident we’ll be able to cope with this challenge as well.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Two IDF reservists were injured, one seriously, by an explosive device placed on the side of the road in the Shomron on Wednesday. The incident occurred while IDF forces from the Ephraim Regional Brigade’s 9221st Reserve Battalion were carrying out an operational activity in the village of Beita. The soldiers were evacuated to the hospital for treatment. IDF forces imposed a siege on the village and launched a manhunt for the terrorists. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

A wave of arson attacks has struck Bat Yam, with multiple fires breaking out across the city, including a dangerous blaze at the Beit Belev nursing home. Several residents were trapped as emergency responders battle to contain the situation. According to reports, ten firefighting crews, led by Shift Commander Chief Fire Officer Oshri Basson, were on the scene at the nursing home on Abba Berdichev Street, where thick smoke has engulfed parts of the building. Firefighters are focused their efforts on rescuing trapped individuals from the smoke-filled structure. Medical teams provided immediate assistance, evacuating the injured to a safe area for treatment.

Magen David Adom teams are currently assisting in the evacuation of nursing home patients in the Shoresh area in the Jerusalem Hills, following a fire in the region. Over 20 ambulances have been mobilized for the operation, including mobile intensive care units, as well as MDA’s intensive care bus, which is designed for the mass evacuation of patients in complex conditions. The evacuation is being carried out to alternative nursing homes in Jerusalem, in accordance with the Ministry of Health’s guidelines, while ensuring the safety of the patients and the continuity of their medical care. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Sources at the police fire command center suspect that some of the fires currently raging in Israel were caused by arson. Three suspects have been arrested and are currently being questioned. Concern is growing in light of the wave of fires that have broken out, the most significant of which is still raging in the Jerusalem hills area. In addition to the fires in the Jerusalem hills and near Beit Shemesh, which are relatively common for the season, fires are also raging in a series of additional locations, such as Beit She’an and Afula in the north of the country, and in other areas, including in southern Israel. The fire that broke out a week ago near Beit Shemesh is believed to be the result of arson.

The majority of cities across Israel have canceled their Yom Ha’atzmaut ceremonies scheduled for Wednesday evening as the wildfires that broke out earlier in the day continue to spread amid powerful winds and hot and dry weather conditions. Fires have started spreading toward southern Israel. The government announced on Wednesday morning [before the fire spread] that the main ceremony at Har Herzl was canceled due to the dangerous weather conditions. Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services said that they will not have the resources to protect any ceremonies.

Wildfires broke out in the Eshtaol forest near Beit Shemesh on Wednesday morning amid heatwave weather conditions and powerful winds. As of noon, there was five active fires: on Route 2, in Canada Park, Neve Shalom, Mesilat Tzion and Mitzpe Harel. The yishuvim of Neve Shalom, Tekoa, Ta’oz, Nachshon and Mesilat Tzion were evacuated of their residents. The planned Yom HaZikaron ceremony at the Latrun memorial was canceled and the area was evacuated. The police closed Route 3 to traffic along with part of Route 1. There are 63 firefighting teams, 11 planes, and two helicopters working to prevent the fire from spreading amid the strong winds. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

The Beersheva District Court on Tuesday sentenced Moti Maman, a 73-year-old Ashdod resident, to 10 years in prison for collaborating with Iranian intelligence and discussing plans to assassinate Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli leaders. Maman, convicted in December of contact with a foreign agent and unauthorized entry into an enemy state, traveled twice into Iran, where he met with Iranian security officials and plotted attacks targeting Netanyahu, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, and then-defense minister Yoav Gallant. Judge Benny Sagi, president of the court, said the sentence was intended to send a warning.

A historic letter has been obtained from a correspondence in 2020 between Hagaon Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of Philadelphia, and Hagaon Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l, regarding participation in the World Zionist Organization (WZO) elections. Rav Kamenetsky explains that he had heard from reliable sources that Rav Chaim had encouraged to take part in the WZO elections, “specifically to protect and preserve the kedusha of Eretz Yisroel.” In his letter, Rav Kamenetsky addresses all the concerns that have been raised regarding taking part in the WZO elections. The letter mentions the concerns that were raised regarding this guidance, as it seems to contradict the long-standing tradition of the gedolei hador to distance oneself from the Zionist movement and its ideology.

The IDF and Shin Bet eliminated three senior terrorists in the Gaza Strip over the past week, the IDF spokesperson revealed on Tuesday. One of the terrorists was Sa’id Abu Hasnan, a Nukhba terrorist who led the October 7 massacre in the Kissufim kibbutz in the Gaza border area. The second eliminated terrorist was Ali Naddal Husni Sarfiti, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terror organization in the Gaza Strip. Sarfiti is a former security prisoner who served time in Israel from 2002 to 2015 for terror activities, including planning a suicide bombing attack in Israel.