The severe forest fires that hit Israel are now beginning to destroy dozens of homes.

The severe forest fires that hit Israel are now beginning to destroy dozens of houses on Thursday (23/5) night and 3,500 residents must be evacuated. Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu also requested international assistance. The Israeli Foreign Ministry as reported by Sindonews said that Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Croatia had agreed to send aid. Firefighting planes from several countries will depart for Israel on Friday (05/24/2019) morning. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has conducted a situational assessment and instructed the fire authorities to prepare for the possibility that a national emergency was announced. Temperatures in the country on Friday are expected to exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit across the country. Erdan told Channel 12 that several fires also occurred near Gaza, Palestine, which were caused by a burning balloon. However, so far there is no indication that the burning balloons from the Gaza militant group are the cause of large-scale forest fires in Israel. Erdan said officials concerned predicted the heat wave would peak on Friday. Temperatures reached 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit) in Tel Aviv, 43 degrees Celsius (110 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Beersheba, Negev and 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Arava region. The biggest fire occurred in the Ben Shemen Forest and about 250 members of the Mevo Modiim community in central Israel were affected. A police official told Channel 13 that the fire had destroyed most of the city founded by singers and rabbis Shlomo Carlebach in 1975. Meanwhile, residents of Gimzo had evacuated the Torah scroll from the synagogue when the fire approached. In addition to Mevo Modiin and Gizmo, a fire department spokesman said that other Israelis had been evacuated from downtown Tarum, Neot Kedumim, Kfar Daniel, Kfar Uriya, Karmia and Harel. The official added that troops were preparing to evacuate thousands of Israelis, including those in the central cities of Shilat, Kfar Ruth and Lapid. In the West Bank, police evacuated about 30 families from their homes in the Beit Hagai settlement when the fire approached the community. About 22 people were hospitalized for breathing smoke.