Israel managed to contain the fire on Mount Carmel
Firefighters have managed to fully contain the fire that has devastated the forests of Mount Carmel, in the north of Israel. Al Qaida claimed the responsibility, Hamas said it was a divine punishment, but Israeli authorities are still investigating.
After 77 hours of battling the flames in northern Israel, Israelis and international firefighters have finally managed to fully contain the most serious environmental disaster in the history of Israel. At least 42 people have died and the blaze caused the devastation of 50 square kilometres pine forest near Haifa - the third largest city in Israel - and the evacuation of more than 17,000 residents, including 600 prison inmates.
“The fire was completely contained in all locations, however all forces would remain at the scene for a few more days”, said the Israeli firefighters’s spokesman during a press conference on Sunday afternoon.
Israelis are still shocked. Thousands of people are trying to get to Haifa and to the Carmel Mount to volunteer in favour of the evacuated population, but the authorities declared that now the situation is under control. In a few words: more people on Carmel Mount will create confusion.
“I would like to ask to our government how come Israel is not able to control fires. I think it is a shame to have less firefighters than Cyprus”, said Adi, 25-years-old Israeli student at the University of Haifa interviewed at the police checkpoint on the highway 2. His grandparents have been evacuated from the mountain village where they were living, and he is trying to get there as soon as possible.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the government will not forget those people, and said to the Finance Ministry to budget 2,500 NIS for those who could not return home for at least a month.
Israeli authorities are conducting an intensive investigation in order to find the responsables for the fire.
Recently a new terrorist group - which claims links to Al Qaida - posted a video message on jihadist forums claiming to be behind the fire. But the Israeli police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld, believes that the fire was not caused by arson but by negligence.
Moreover, Hamas leader Haniyeh told reporters that “those fires are divine strikes for what Israel did", meanwhile Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Chief Rabbi of Sephardi Jews, said: “the fire was caused because people don’t respect Shabbat”, the holy Jewish weekly holiday.
The blaze has been extinguished. Now it is time to find the material and the political responsibles of the worst environmental disaster in the history of the country. Israel citizens are now waiting to understand who did not perform his governmental duty and therefore should be held accountable for the disaster.
Article published by Digital Journal on December 6th 2010.
