Israeli responders save lives while neighboring Arab authorities ignore infrastructure failures and blame Israel for crises.
Emergency crews from the Samaria firefighting region rushed into action Tuesday morning when major flooding struck the town of Elkana, submerging several homes under nearly one meter of water. The rapid rise left residents—especially children—unable to get out on their own.
Firefighters swiftly evacuated trapped families, including a mother and her infant, who were rescued safely despite the dangerous conditions. Assistant Battalion Chief Tomer Becher, who commanded the operation, explained that Samaria teams had pre-positioned resources in anticipation of severe weather and immediately launched reinforced crews once distress calls came in.
Simultaneous rescue operations unfolded across southern Israel as the powerful storm system battered multiple regions:
- Yatir Stream: Fire crews recovered a pickup truck swept away by a sudden flash flood.
- Route 358: Rescuers extracted a trapped driver whose vehicle was engulfed by fast-flowing water.
- Ramot, Be’er Sheva: Firefighters retrieved two stranded cars from rising floodwaters.
Once again, Israeli emergency forces demonstrated extraordinary preparedness, speed, and professionalism—protecting civilians with decisive action even amid severe weather. Their efforts stand in stark contrast to the chronic mismanagement in certain Palestinian-run areas, where infrastructure collapses routinely generate crises and are reflexively blamed on Israel rather than on failed Arab governance.
