Amid the fires engulfing the Jerusalem hills, a man in his 50s from East Jerusalem was arrested on suspicion of setting fire to a brush area in the city's south. Police arrested the suspect, a resident of Umm Tuba in his 50s, after a tipoff about a man attempting to ignite an open area in southern Jerusalem.
During the ensuing chase, officers found a lighter, cotton wool and additional flammable materials in the man's possession. He was taken for questioning to a police station in the city.
Efforts to extinguish wildfires continued across the country in recent hours, with security forces on heightened alert and stepping up arrests of suspected arsonists. Police are urging the public to report any suspicious behavior near open areas or any indication of attempted arson.
