Overview
- The wildfire that swept into Havat Gilad on Saturday destroyed at least a dozen homes and several businesses, forced the evacuation of roughly 100 families, and left many residents displaced.
- Forty-five firefighting and rescue teams backed by a reconnaissance helicopter and eight aircraft battled the blaze for hours, and two firefighters were injured and evacuated for treatment.
- Investigators recovered a cigarette butt at the fire’s origin and say IDF surveillance footage identified a passing vehicle that allegedly tossed the smoking item, and police have arrested two Palestinian Authority suspects who are now being questioned.
- Judea and Samaria police and the regional governor said the incident’s circumstances give reasonable grounds to treat it as a hostile act, a classification that opens the door to official terror-damage compensation for victims.
- A major crowdfunding campaign raised about NIS 5.64 million from more than 22,000 donors, business properties such as the Tzameret carpentry warehouse were destroyed, and authorities say forensic and criminal probes will continue as rebuilding and relief efforts begin.