Fire-fighters have extinguished blazes that ravaged Israel and the occupied West Bank for five days and forced tens of thousands to flee, authorities said Sunday, blaming arsonists for some outbreaks. There were no deaths but some 122 people were treated for injuries, mainly due to smoke inhalation, medical officials said.
Around 700 homes were damaged or destroyed as the blazes fed by high winds and dry conditions ripped through thousands of hectares (acres).
In recent days, firefighting planes from a list of countries could be seen sloping low over the hills of the occupied West Bank and Israel dropping tonnes of water and retardants.
At one point last week, flames towered over an area near Jerusalem, and residents on Sunday were left surveying their charred homes and businesses.
"There are no active sites left," fire and rescue service spokesman Yoram Levy told AFP. "Since last night it's pretty calm. We have no new activity."
According to Levy, fire-fighters dealt with about 2,000 fires in Israel and the West Bank, 20 of them major.
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