• About 80% of the Haifa residents evacuated from their homes have returned. The remaining 20% are in hotels or with friends/relatives.
• Forecasters predict another day of strong winds, adding to concerns of the Fire Service. No rain being predicted before Tuesday.
• Israel has accepted a PA (Palestinian Authority) offer for a number of fire trucks to assist in firefighting efforts.
• Minister Erdan announced the situation nationwide is “under control”.
• Kibbutz Ein HaShofet was ordered evacuated by the Ministry of Environmental Affairs due to pollution. Ein HaShofet is in northern Israel in the Ephraim Hills in the Menashe Heights region around 30km from the city of Haifa.
• Channel 1 News reports 8 homes heavily damaged or destroyed in Moshav Beit Meir fire during the night.
• Social media is full of Arabic and English language calls for the fires to burn Israel out of existence.
• Fires were also extinguished in the Western & Lower Galil during the night.
• The Romeima neighborhood of Haifa is still without electricity this morning.
• Channel 10 reports police confirming the large Zichron Yaakov fire was definitely the result of terrorist arson. This is confirmed by the Haifa area Fire Service spokesman.
• Terrorist arson appears to be the operating premise in Haifa too, but a definitive determination is yet to be made as the investigation is ongoing.
• Haifa: Eight people suspected of arson have been arrested.
• Thousands of Israelis have announced they are willing to take persons in for Shabbos following the tragic fires in so many areas.
• An abandoned vehicle filled with gasoline-soaked rags found near Oranit. Oranit is near the Green Line in the Shomron between the Shomron and the Petach Tikvah area, near the Chorshim Forest.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)