Israel responds to request from Cyprus for assistance in extinguishing massive fires as a result of extreme weather conditions.
By United with Israel Staff
Israeli firefighting teams and aircraft last week completed a mission to help Cyprus battle summer wildfires that hit the island country.
Led by Israel’s National Security Ministry and under the command of the Israel Police’s Air Division, in collaboration with the Fire and Rescue Authority, the operation was dubbed “Wings of Fire”.
The Israeli assistance mission was sent to Cyprus in response to a request from Cyprus’s President, Nikos Christodoulides, to Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for immediate assistance in extinguishing the massive fires that had broken out in Limassol due to extreme weather conditions including heatwaves, strong winds, and high temperatures.
The delegation, under the command of Snir Shafir, included two “Air-Tractor” firefighting planes, a team of four pilots, skilled ground crews, forest firefighting specialists, and supporting equipment including around 6 tons of fire retardant from Israel Fire and Rescue Authority.
Firefighting teams were dispatched over the affected areas to locate and extinguish active fire points before they developed into large-scale forest fires.
During this time, ground operations were conducted by the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority in collaboration with local firefighting forces.
As part of the delegation’s efforts to mitigate the spread of the fires and promote good relations between the two countries, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir also met with Cyprus’s Minister of Justice and Public Order.
Following the operation, a ceremony was held in honor of the Israeli delegation, attended by Israel’s Ambassador to Cyprus, Oren Anolik, Cyprus’s Minister of Justice and Public Order, Anna Koukides-Procopiou, Cyprus’s Minister of Agriculture, Petros Ksenofontos, Cyprus’s Minister of Defense, Michalis Georgallas, Chief of the National Guard, Dimokritos Zervakis, Chief of the Fire Department, Commander of the Air Force, and Director of Civil Defense in Cyprus.
Koukides-Procopiou expressed “the deep gratitude of the Republic of Cyprus to the State of Israel for its cooperation and assistance.”
“Minister Ben Gvir’s visit to the coordination center provided an opportunity for in-depth discussions on cooperation between the two countries in the field of firefighting and emergency situations, as well as other matters related to national security, such as counterterrorism, which concern both countries. We look forward to establishing even more beneficial mutual relations in the near future,” she added.
The joint assistance efforts involved the National Security Council in the Prime Minister’s Office, Israel’s National Security Ministry, Israel Police’s Air Division operated by the Elbit Systems’ “Elad” Squadron, Fire and Rescue Authority, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Population and Immigration Authority, Civil Aviation Authority, IDF, Ministry of Defense, Israel’s Ambassador to Cyprus Oren Anolik, and Israel’s Embassy in Cyprus.