The country’s Magen David Adom rescue agency reported that hundreds of civilians were currently at risk from the fires.
Sixteen people were being treated for minor injuries from smoke inhalation, the MDA said, adding the alert level had been raised to the highest level.
Police closed the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway and evacuated residents along the route as brushfires broke out again in an area ravaged by blazes a week ago.
“We are facing a national emergency, and all available forces must be mobilised to save lives and bring the fires under control,” Katz said in a statement from his ministry.
An AFP journalist at the scene said the fire was raging in wooded areas near the main road between Latrun and Beit Shemesh and that helicopters were working to extinguish the flames.
Many drivers abandoned their vehicles in the middle of the road and fled as huge clouds of smoke billowed from the fire and the injured were evacuated.
Communities located about 30 kilometres (19 miles) west of Jerusalem were evacuated, Israeli media reported, airing images of firefighting teams battling fierce flames.
MDA emergency services said ambulance teams had been positioned near communities close to the fires and were ready to provide medical treatment and assist residents.
A motorcycle unit was ready to offer medical assistance to citizens stuck in heavy traffic, the agency added.
High temperatures and strong winds have allowed the fires in wooded areas to spread quickly, prompting evacuations from at least five communities, the police said in a statement.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who oversees Israel’s fire department, visited the affected area, which is prone to wildfires at this time of year.
In a video statement, he said work was being done to bring more assistance to the affected areas and evacuate stranded civilians.
Israeli media reported that Israel had requested help from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece and Italy in fighting the fires.
Due to the weather conditions, the Israeli minister responsible for arranging national ceremonies, Miri Regev, said the main Independence Day event planned for Wednesday evening in Jerusalem was cancelled.
By AFP
