About 100 families were evacuated from their homes in the Havat Gilad community in Samaria on Shabbat following a fire that spread from the direction of Kedumim and reached the community's homes.
According to the community, the arson started with a burning object thrown from a moving vehicle into a nearby thorn field.
45 fire and rescue teams were on the scene, assisted by a contract helicopter and eight firefighting aircraft. Two firefighters were moderately and lightly injured during the firefighting operations and were evacuated for medical treatment.
The fire penetrated the line of houses and burned about 30 houses. Vehicles were also damaged, including an armored fire truck that was damaged by heat radiation, after the fire moved quickly under the cover of the winds and crossed the first line of houses.
After more than five hours, the fire was brought under control.
The initial conclusion of the investigation teams is that the fire was caused by a cigarette butt.
The Havat Gilad settlement reported: "During Shabbat, we experienced a huge fire, as we understand it, as a result of arson committed by Arabs. As a result, approximately thirty buildings and houses caught fire and caused tremendous damage to infrastructure.
""At the same time as the fire was extinguished, Arabs fired fireworks from the villages in the area. We thank the rescue and security forces and the hundreds of volunteers who came to save the settlement and call on the bodies of the State of Israel to respond decisively on the one hand and to mobilize for the immediate reconstruction of the settlement on the other. We will not bow our heads but will restore the settlement, assist the families, and with God's help, the settlement will grow many times over and take hold of the land of Samaria.".
Samaria Council Head Yossi Dagan called for the immediate arrest of the arsonists and for all parties involved to step in and lend a hand in the restoration of the settlement.
""A very difficult incident here at Havat Gilad. Unfortunately, we were forced to evacuate over a hundred families from here this afternoon. An incident that clearly began as a result of a moving vehicle throwing something that is still unclear exactly what it is towards the Kutzim area, and as a result, a huge fire was started," said Dagan.
""Last night there was also an arson attack here near Havat Gilad, there is reasonable suspicion here, and beyond that it was an arson attack. I expect the security establishment, the Israeli government, that we always work together in full partnership, I expect them to first catch the person who did it, and together with all the systems to provide a comprehensive response as appropriate to the arson phenomenon. I expect the State of Israel to step in immediately to restore the infrastructure here that was burned as a result of the arson attack," the head of the council exclaimed.
He added: "Unfortunately, almost thirty buildings, most of them family homes, were completely burned to the ground. Unfortunately, business buildings were completely burned and all the infrastructure here was destroyed. Throughout the evening, a shower of fireworks from all the villages here in the area completed the picture. We are facing an enemy that every year, and this year too, as it gets warmer, starts to ignite again and again and again. We expect a determined response to this.".
""I met the families from Havat Gilad after we turned them over to Yitzhar on Saturday afternoon. Families full of strength from all the hardship, people who don't know what will happen to their homes, what will happen to all their memories, all their possessions. They told me we will build our homes again, we will strengthen them.".
""I say from here to these barbarians who showed the fireworks here and expressed their joy, and I also say to those who set these arsons throughout the entire period, we will never be broken. Havat Gilad will be bigger, the houses will be bigger, more beautiful, and this community will be much bigger and stronger forever. You will never break us.".
