Al-Qaeda Claims Responsibility for Starting Israel Fires

„Ma’sadat al-Mujahideen, a Palestinian Salafist group, claimed responsibility for carrying out arson attacks that sparked colossal fires in the northern  and central regions of Israel. Some 75,000 people were forced to flee the coastal city of Haifa as firefighters battled to bring the blaze under control.

In a statement claiming responsibility the group said that Jews must “return from whence they came since they have no place among us.”

The group has not offered proof that it was involved in setting the fires and security services are unsure if their claim is true or not.  Nevertheless, Israeli government officials said that an estimated 50% of the fires were set by arsonists. Officials in Israel on Sunday told the public that while some fires still remain, the  wave of fires which have blazed for the past six days is now mostly over.“ (…)