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World / Middle East

Turkey sends planes to help Israel extinguish wildfires

Published: 24 Nov 2016 - 02:56 pm | Last Updated: 06 Nov 2021 - 08:18 am
An Israeli firefighter plane helps extinguish a bushfire in the northern Israeli port city of Haifa on November 24, 2016.  AFP / JACK GUEZ

An Israeli firefighter plane helps extinguish a bushfire in the northern Israeli port city of Haifa on November 24, 2016. AFP / JACK GUEZ

By Kaamil Ahmed / AA

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday thanked Turkey for sending specialized aircraft to help put out a rash of wildfires that recently broke out in several parts of the country. 
Greece, Croatia, Italy, Greek Cypriot administration and Russia have also all offered to send a combined total of 10 planes to help extinguish the blazes. 
In a Wednesday statement issued by the prime minister’s office, Netanyahu said he had asked for foreign support due to fears that stronger winds on Thursday might help spread the fires. 
The Times of Israel website has reported that hundreds of people were evacuated from the northern city of Haifa on Thursday after two days of raging wildfires.