Tonight's Independence Day Celebrations Canceled: Wildfires and Fierce Winds Sweep the Nation

Cities and towns across Israel, including Ashkelon, Beersheba, Modi’in, Mevasseret Zion, Lod, Ariel, Ma’aleh Adumim, and Kiryat Ono, have called off their Independence Day celebrations planned for tonight due to raging wildfires and extreme weather.

Independence Day events in Beit Shemesh have also been canceled due to a shortage of firefighting forces available to secure the events. Beit Shemesh was set to host performances by some of Israel’s biggest artists, including Eden Hason, Eden Golan, and Amir Dadon.

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, together with senior municipality officials, decided that due to the extreme weather conditions, all Independence Day events scheduled for tonight (Wednesday, April 30) across the city will not take place.

The Jerusalem Municipality is making significant efforts to reschedule tonight’s events for tomorrow evening.

The move comes as Israel faces a national crisis, with wildfires tearing through the Jerusalem Hills, Latrun, Beit Shean, Afula, and beyond. In the Mateh Yehuda region, communities like Neve Shalom, Mevo Horon, and Mashmar Ayalon are being evacuated as flames creep closer to homes. Highway 1, the main road linking Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is shut down in both directions from the Anava Interchange to Sha’ar Hagai, with police and firefighters working around the clock to rescue stranded drivers and battle the blaze.

In southern Israel, firefighters have made progress in areas like Shafir, Kfar Warburg, Amatzia, and Angels’ Forest, but the intense weather is making their job harder. Ben Gurion Airport is gearing up to welcome the Super Tanker aircraft, and help is on the way from Greece, Croatia, Italy, and Cyprus, with firefighting planes expected to arrive soon.

Over 120 firefighting crews, backed by 12 planes and five helicopters, are fighting the fires, especially along Highway 1, where the flames are spreading toward Modi’in and Mevo Horon. Paramedics from Magen David Adom (MDA) and United Hatzalah have treated dozens of people for smoke inhalation and burns, with hospitals like Hadassah Ein Kerem and Shamir Assaf Harofeh ready to take in more patients.

Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the IDF, including the Home Front Command and Air Force, to throw their full weight behind the firefighting and rescue efforts, calling the situation a “national emergency.” The military is helping with evacuations, providing aerial views of the fire, and sending rescue and firefighting teams to the Jerusalem Hills.

The wild weather, with gusts of 90–100 km/h, has also led the Ministry of Defense to warn people against visiting cemeteries, where Memorial Day setups could collapse. In Latrun, a Memorial Day ceremony was cut short as wildfires burned through the area between Mesilat Zion and Neve Shalom, forcing the closure of Highways 1 and 3.

Local leaders say canceling Independence Day events was about keeping people safe. “With wildfires spiraling out of control and dangerous winds picking up, we can’t take chances with public gatherings,” a Modi’in official explained. Beersheba’s leaders echoed this, saying they’re focusing on emergency response instead of festivities.

Police have stepped up their presence, pulling officers from Lod, Ramla, Rishon LeZion, Rehovot, Petah Tikva, and other Shfela towns to help with evacuations and manage traffic.

The situation got so bad that rescue groups put out urgent calls for anyone with motorcycles and water bottles to help dehydrated people fleeing Highway 1 on foot.

“This is a day to celebrate our strength, but right now, that strength is being put to the test,” a Kiryat Ono official said. There’s no word yet on rescheduling the events, as the focus remains on stopping the fires and keeping people safe.