Israeli firefighters battle blaze near Jerusalem for third day

More than 100 firefighting teams and eight aircraft are working to combat the raging wildfire.

Israeli firefighters are working for a third consecutive day to contain a wildfire that has consumed a large swath of forest west of Jerusalem and threatened several communities. Israel Fire and Rescue Service said on Tuesday that 110 firefighting teams accompanied by eight aircraft are battling the blaze that consumed about 20sq km (7.7 square miles) of land – making it one of the largest wildfires in the country’s history. On Monday, Israel asked regional ally Greece for assistance in fighting the fire, and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said he was also reaching out to Cyprus, Italy and France for possible assistance.