Israeli firefighting aircraft on Friday began to work to fight the wildfires that are blazing in Greece, in what is being dubbed Operation Firebirds. The Israeli planes are making continuous runs, working closely with local authorities. The Israeli teams are working continuously, and the Greeks have expressed content with the Israeli efforts to overcome the disaster. Israeli Ambassador to Greece Noam Katz is accompanying the Israeli aid delegation, providing support and coordination with local authorities. The Israeli delegation is a cooperative of the National Security Ministery, Israel Fire and Rescue Services, Israel Police, and the IDF. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen stated: "The Israeli aid activity which began today in the field is a manifestation of the close ties and the deep partnership between Israel and Greece. The Foreign Ministry will continue to lend its hand to our friends at times of hardship. The Foreign Ministry CEO Ronen Levi (Maoz), the Jerusalem headquarters, and foremost the embassy in Athens are working together with the Greeks in an exceptional cooperation to save lives." Since the beginning of the week, fires have been blazing in multiple locations across the country, which is currently suffering from a severe heatwave that is only exacerbating the situation. According to Reuters, on Thursday, fires in an area west of Athens, as well as the island of Rhodes and in Lakonia in southern Greece, that had been beaten back in recent days grew bigger again, forcing authorities to evacuate more villages. "Our forces are facing a big resurgence in West Attica, Rhodes, and Lakonia," Fire Service spokesman Ioannis Artopoios told a televised briefing. On Rhodes, firefighters were battling a blaze from both the air and land that erupted on Tuesday in a densely wooded mountainous area, forcing people to flee. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the decision to send two Elad class firefighting planes to assist in the efforts to fight the fire for several days, as needed.
