ARRESTS MADE: Arab Caught Red-Handed Starting Fire In J-m Amid Hamas Calls To Commit Arson [PHOTOS]

Sources at the police fire command center suspect that some of the fires currently raging in Israel were caused by arson. Three suspects have been arrested and are currently being questioned.

One of the suspects was caught red-handed trying to set a fire in southern Jerusalem. Following a report about a person trying to set fire to vegetation in the area, police officers were called to the scene and located the suspect, who tried to escape and was arrested after a chase. A lighter, cotton wool and other flammable materials were found in his possession. The suspect, a resident of east Jerusalem in his 50s, was transferred for questioning at the Oz station.

Concern is growing in light of the wave of fires that have broken out, the most significant of which is still raging in the Jerusalem hills area.

In addition to the fires in the Jerusalem hills and near Beit Shemesh, which are relatively common for the season, fires are also raging in a series of additional locations, such as Beit She’an and Afula in the north of the country, and in other areas, including in southern Israel.

Hamas posted a message on Telegram on Wednesday urging Palestinains to set fire to “fields, forests, and settlers’ homes.”

Yisrael Ganz, the head of the Yesha and Binyamin Councils, held a situational assessment and ordered a high alert in the area to prevent any arson attempts. Ganz is currently overseeing the evacuation of Mevo Choron, which is on the line of fire in the Jerusalem Hills.

The fire that broke out a week ago near Beit Shemesh is believed to be the result of arson.

Fire chief Eyal Caspi said on Wednesday evening that the fires are expected to last for at least another day.

The Meteorological Service said on Wednesday evening that the severe weather is expected to continue in the coming hours, and the risk of the spread of fires continues to be very high, especially in the center of the country, with an emphasis on the Judean Plains and the Jerusalem Hills – where strong gusts of wind of 60-70 km/h are expected from west to east.