Today (Saturday) around 2:00 PM, firefighting forces were called to a fire in Israel’s heartland area of the Yishai neighborhood in Kedumim. According to Eliya Aviv, Judea and Samaria Analyst for Channel 14, “Upon arrival, they immediately understood this was deliberate arson carried out by terrorists from the nearby village of Jit, there were four separate points of ignition.” According to an eyewitness who reported from the scene, “Arabs are firing flares at the firefighting planes above Gilad Farm.”
Jews save Torah scrolls after Arabs set fire to 26 of their homes. July 18, 2026, Samaria, Israel. pic.twitter.com/pmAoAaoefq
— C14 News Israel • Headlines (@c14israel) July 18, 2026
Israeli Fire and Rescue services reported that 45 firefighting and rescue teams, with the help of a helicopter and multiple firefighting aircraft fought the raging fire in the area. The fire spread rapidly and reached the community of Gilad Farm, where firefighters battled for many hours with the help of eight firefighting planes and one reconnaissance helicopter.
Samaria Governor Yossi Dagan pointed the finger at arsonists as well, in a published statement saying, “The incident that clearly began as a result of a vehicle driving throwing something that is still unclear exactly what it was, towards the area, and as a result, a huge fire was started.”
3+According to Aviv, after the fire was brought under control, the damage discovered was immense: roughly 26 homes were completely burned down, along with several businesses that were also damaged by the fire. Five people were injured in the incident, four firefighters and one civilian.
Israeli Fire and Rescue said in a statement, “Firefighters are continuing at this hour in a prolonged struggle against the fire in Gilad Farm, concentrating efforts on stopping the fire’s spread toward additional risk points and protecting the homes of the community.
As of this hour, 45 firefighting and rescue teams from across the country are operating at the scene, assisted by a reconnaissance helicopter and eight firefighting planes carrying out repeated aerial drops alongside ground activity. The forces are operating in several sectors, carrying out community protection, extinguishing points of combustion, and creating containment lines aimed at stopping the fire’s advance.”
3+Alongside firefighting operations, large police forces are deployed, including the Air Unit helicopter and the district drone unit. Forces are evacuating residents, blocking area roads, securing emergency routes, and directing traffic. The Jit, Kedumim, and Yitzhar junctions remain closed to traffic, and Route 55 is partially blocked to allow rescue operations.
3+Due to the severity of the incident, a special joint investigation team was established, including fire investigators from Fire and Rescue Services, Samaria District Police, and the IDF, to determine the circumstances of the fire’s outbreak. An inter-agency situation assessment was held with all security and rescue bodies, during which tasks were defined for continued firefighting, investigation, and public safety operations.
Several other fires broke out across the country Saturday. In the Jezreel Valley town of Shimshit, residents in the first line of homes were evacuated as the fire approached, but firefighters gained control of the blaze. Firefighting teams also operated in Kfar Vradim and the Shibli area, and after hours of battling the flames, succeeded in halting their spread.
3+Governor Dagan made three specific calls on the state:
- Catch the perpetrators — he called on the security establishment and Israeli government to prioritize apprehending those responsible for the arson.
- Deliver a systemic response to arson terror — he wants a coordinated, comprehensive response from all relevant government systems to the broader pattern of recurring arson attacks in the area, not just this single incident.
- Immediately rehabilitate the community’s infrastructure — he expects the state to begin rebuilding the burned homes, businesses, and infrastructure without delay, and called on “all state authorities” to get involved in the reconstruction effort.