Firefighters Battle Major Blaze Destroying 13 Homes in West Bank's Gilead Farm Community

Firefighters from the Judea and Samaria District continue to combat a large fire that broke out on Saturday in the Gilead Farm settlement in the West Bank. The fire began near the Mitzpe Yishai neighborhood in Kedumim around midday and rapidly spread to Gilead Farm due to strong winds, reaching the first line of homes. In total, 24 homes were damaged, with 13 completely destroyed, along with a wood storage shed.

The firefighting effort involved 41 teams from across Israel, supported by ten firefighting aircraft from the Elad Squadron and a helicopter from the Israeli Police Air Unit, including rescuers from the Lahav special rescue unit. Additional support came from engineering vehicles and water tankers from the Israel Defense Forces, as well as police forces from the Samaria district.

A special investigation team comprising fire investigators from the Fire and Rescue Services, police investigators from the Samaria district, and IDF personnel concluded that the fire started from a single ignition point caused by a discarded cigarette butt near the roadside.

Judea and Samaria District Commander Chief Superintendent Zion Shenkor described the fire as "significant and rapidly spreading with an unusual fire rate," which led to the severe damage. Fire and Rescue Commissioner Major General Eyal Caspi personally visited the scene to oversee firefighting operations. The coordinated response included firefighters, volunteers, the IDF, Israeli Police, and the Samaria Regional Council, focusing on controlling the fire, safely evacuating residents, and investigating the cause.

Firefighters remain active at the scene to fully extinguish the blaze and prevent further damage.