120 dunams (30 acres) of forestry area were destroyed in a blaze in the Carmel area on Wednesday. The area involved is situated near Druse communities and officials suspect arson following two days of Druse violence, protests surrounding land expropriations in the area to permit the new natural gas line. Druse land owners feel that were not fairly compensated for their land.

Haifa area fire department spokesman Chezi Levy reports 19 fire apparatus responded to the blaze along with 7 crop dusting planes that were assisting in the efforts to bring the fire under control.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)