The fires began in Zichron Ya'akov on Tuesday and have since spread throughout the country, pushed by extreme dryness and strong winds and forcing tens of thousands of people to be evacuated from their homes.
Firefighting planes and teams from Greece and Cyprus landed in Israel early on Thursday and joined the battle with wildfire over Haifa, Israel's third-largest city.
Two of Russia's giant Beriev be-200 aircrafts were also sent today to assist with the operation. Six years ago this type of plane, which can land on water and carry 12 tons of fire retardant, participated in firefightings effort during the Carmel Forest Fires in Israel.
President of France Francois Hollande had reportedly instructed his interior minister to dispatch three firefighting aircraft "as soon as possible." Furthermore, Italy and Turkey offered to help Israel without being asked.
According to Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, the prompt multinational aid is a sign of Israel's close ties with its neighbors.
"The mobilization of neighboring countries to help us so quickly demonstrates the depth of relations between those countries and Israel," he said, as cited by Times of Israel.
The fires are the worst to hit Israel since 2010, when more than 40 people died. Police suspect negligence and possibly arson as causes of the disaster.
