Fires in Israel: the Holy Land is Ablaze

Hundreds of fires continue to burn in Israel, where every firefighter in the country is reportedly in the field. The situation is so extreme that all firetrucks and engines are said to be deployed, and the Israeli government has begun accepting international assistance from Italy, France, Greece, even the Palestinian Authority. Tens of thousands of Israeli citizens have been evacuated due to the fires, which are being investigated by Shin Bet (the Israel Security Agency, Šerut ha-Bitaẖon haKlali) as a coordinated terrorist attack — which it almost certainly is.

Israel is Ablaze

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Israel's Fire and Rescue Commission spokesperson Yoram Levy recently advised the i24 News agency that over 1,000 documented fire incidents have been recorded over the last 36 hours.

NASA satellite image showing extent of smoke blowing from Israel over the Mediterranean.

The hashtag #Israelisburning is now trending across numerous social media platforms in Arab countries, many associating the fires with a recent proposed Muezzin law that would ban the use of the use of loudspeakers in calls to prayer. Some describe the fires as “divine retribution”against Israel; for instance, Islamic preacher Ahmed Issa Almasraoa (a former official at the Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf) tweeted, “Oh you enemies of Islam, they will not stand, Oh God, pour your anger on them and show them the wonders of your ability.” 

Many such posts were substantially more profane.

Depending on the timing of these fires' ignition, and their coordination, it's likely many or all of them were started utilizing IID (Improvised Incendiary Devices). IIDs are less well known, but just as potentially damaging, as better known IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). IIDs have been used in many attacks, some here in the United States, others to far more deadly effect in other countries, like the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing in India, the 2007 attack on the Glasgow airport, and the attempted destruction of a Chinese aircraft by an ethnic Uighur woman in 2008.

IIDs are identifed as weapons of mass destruction in Title 18, U.S. Code Section 921. They have been the object of much discussion and consideration by the National Wildfire Coordinating Grou (NWCG), the U.S. Fire Administration, the National Fire Academy, the National Interagency Fire Center, and the Department of Homeland Security. The potentiality for casualties, property damage, and impact on national infrastructure has led for calls to change the CBRNE acronym (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives) in DoD, DHS and other circles to CBIRNE (Chemical, Biological, Incendiary, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives), in the hopes of recognizing their significance in crime and counter-terrorism.

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Cover photo courtesy of Times of Israel.

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See also:

http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-on-fire-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont/

http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a457303.pdf

https://publicintelligence.net/ufouo-dhs-terrorist-use-of-improvised-incendiary-devices-and-attack-methods/

https://www.stratfor.com/geopolitical-diary/indian-train-attack-setting-tactical-precedent

http://transweb.sjsu.edu/MTIportal/research/publications/documents/2875-IED-Support-Research.pdf

http://calhoun.nps.edu/bitstream/handle/10945/5803/11Mar_Newman.pdf

http://www.firerescuemagazine.com/articles/print/volume-8/issue-4/strategy-and-tactics/the-fire-service-s-role-in-active-shooter-situations.html

https://www.scribd.com/document/90659388/0806-Terrorist-Weaponization-of-Fire-Improvised-Incendiary-Devices-Arson-DHS