In the fight against a forest fire west of Jerusalem, eight firefighting planes and a helicopter resumed their operations on Tuesday.
According to the fire brigade, residents of three villages have not yet been allowed to return to their homes.
Israel said on Monday that it had asked several countries for help in fighting the fire. Greece has promised support, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid announced on Twitter.
According to the police, thousands of people had to leave their homes after the forest fire broke out on Sunday. The army supported the evacuation measures with helicopters.
According to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, several houses in different villages had gone up in flames. As reported by the Times of Israel, about 2,000 hectares of forest have been burned in the meantime.
According to a report by the army radio station, the police assume that the fire was caused by people. However, it is not necessarily arson but could also have been caused by carelessness.
The Environmental Protection and Health Ministries warned on Monday of “very high levels of air pollution” in several places near Jerusalem. Among other things, children and pregnant women were urged not to stay outdoors if possible.
