Israeli wildfires force evacuations and road closures on Memorial Day

Wildfires due to extreme heat and wind broke out near Jerusalem, forcing the evacuation of communities and the closure of a main motorway, as the country was observing Memorial Day and many Israelis visited gravesites. The Route 1 motorway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv was closed near the fire site and police said three communities had been evacuated. “Based on assessments of the fire’s spread, the district commander has instructed teams to prepare for the potential evacuation of additional communities, including deploying buses in case they are needed,” the police said in a statement.