Five countries, including Russia and Turkey, sent firefighting planes to assist Israel in tackling the fires, which officials said may have been started intentionally. He said that if the fires were started by arsonists, those responsible "will be punished gravely." Officials said that about 10 firefighting planes from Croatia, Cyprus, Greece and Italy, as well as Russia and Turkey, had either arrived in Israel or were on their way. Netanyahu spoke on Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who agreed to send two massive firefighting planes that could drop water on the blazes. Just as that fire was brought under control, another erupted in Zichron Yaakov, a town just south of Haifa.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 25, 2016 16:40 UTC