20,000 dunams of KKL-JNF forests in Israel destroyed by Hezbollah attacks
Rocket and drone attacks have caused severe damage – but you can help.
Since the beginning of the Hezbollah attacks on Israel on October 8, approximately 20,000 dunams of forest area in the north have been destroyed due to enemy explosions. Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund estimates that once all areas designated as closed military zones are reached, the damage will be even greater.
The list of KKL-JNF sites and forests damaged in northern Israel is tragically long: Biriya Forest, Naftali Mountains Forest (Ramim Ridge), Nabi Yusha Keren Naftali Forest, Bar’am Forest, Meron Forest, Rosh Hanikra Forest (Sulam Ridge), Kahal/Ammiad Forest, Katzrin Forest in the Golan Heights, Daliot Forest, Salukia Springs, and the Hanita (Matzuba) Forest.
Israel’s north is burning. This is how you can help>>
KKL - JNF’s firefighting service, which includes 26 fire trucks and 300 employees who work in firefighting in addition to their professional roles, has been actively participating in extinguishing forest fires across the country. KKL - JNF’s firefighting system operates in full cooperation with the security forces, police, IDF, local authorities, emergency squads, fire and rescue services, and the Nature and Parks Authority.
In addition to the damage to flora in KKL - JNF northern forests, significant harm has been caused to wildlife, including bird populations. While adult birds can save themselves and fly to other nesting places, chicks that cannot yet fly have burned in their nests. Additionally, due to the fires, many reptiles whose nests are intact struggle to find food.
Cattle and sheep herds in the forests are managed by KKL - JNF’s grazing unit, which was established to address the dramatic increase in the number of fires in recent years. The herds in KKL - JNF’s open areas feed on flammable shrubbery, which prevents about 80% of fires in these areas. However, due to the damage and danger in the area (pregnant cows that miscarried, herds dispersing and disappearing, and animals burning), an alternative grazing solution was needed. KKL-JNF provided assistance by building mobile enclosures and fences.
“The fires are continuing, the war continues, and we fear that the forests will continue to burn,” says Shelli Ben Yishai, director of the Northern Region of KKL-JNF.
Israel’s north is burning. This is how you can help>>
After the war, says Ben Yishai, thousands of dunams of the Galilee will need to be repaired and rehabilitated. Restoring the forest to its original state can take between ten and fifteen years and is a long and arduous process.
Gilad Ostrovsky, chief forester of KKL-JNF, also expressed his concern as Hezbollah continues firing rockets towards Israel.
"Even if we are successful in not letting the missiles get in, there is a massive explosion in the air. And then thousands of pieces spread all over and each piece can start a fire," he recently told the American network ABC.
"It's not just one place that it started. Now, because of the war and the rockets, it is starting all over, all over," he continued. "It's very hard for us to say, 'Okay, we can be prepared.' The uncertainty is very high. That's the problem."
As Israel is fighting a war on two fronts, help KKL-JNF save and rehabilitate Israel’s North. Click here to give generously.
This article was written in cooperation with KKL-JNF.