Israel wildfires: Massive blaze on outskirts of Jerusalem forces highway closure, evacuations

Wildfires raging on the outskirts of Jerusalem forced the closure of a main highway and prompted the evacuation of nearby communities on Wednesday.

As flames loomed nearby, passengers were seen abandoning their vehicles and walking along Route 1, a major highway in central Israel connecting Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Israel has mobilized dozens of teams, aircraft and rescue forces to fight the fires.

Meanwhile, Israel has appealed for international assistance, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing Wednesday that Israel and Croatia would send three firefighting planes to help battle the fires.

Three communities were evacuated and at least 13 people have been injured. No deaths have been reported.