Wildfires near Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank have forced hundreds to flee their homes, after mass evacuations in Israel and more than a dozen arrests. About 1,000 residents had to leave the Halamish settlement near Ramallah as 45 homes were damaged or destroyed by fire, a police spokeswoman said on Saturday. Blazes were also reported near the West Bank settlements of Dolev, Alfei Menashe and Karnei Shomron, although there were no evacuations there. The Israeli authorities suspect some of the fires may have been of criminal origin and linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Local media quoted authorities as saying an estimated 700 homes have so far been damaged or destroyed by the fires.

Source: The Guardian November 26, 2016 17:45 UTC