Smoke was seen billowing from the forest fire outside of Jerusalem. Photo: Twitter/Yiddish News.

A large forest fire is raging in the Jerusalem forest next to Givat Shaul. The fire is being carried by the wind in an easterly direction.

Jerusalem District Firefighter Spokesman Sergeant First Class Udi Gal said that eight firefighting planes have been dispatched, and that “firefighters are fighting huge flames and are trying to prevent them from getting close to houses and critical infrastructure. Additional forces from Beit Shemesh and the West Bank have been called up to help,” he said. There are currently 35 firefighting teams fighting the blaze.

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