Israeli Police announced on Monday their suspicion that arson caused the fire in Jerusalem’s Valley of the Cross, which posed a threat to the Israel Museum and other nearby significant sites.
The valley, home to an ancient Greek Orthodox monastery, is traditionally believed to be the source of the wood used for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is a popular hiking area located just below the Israel Museum and Israel’s parliament, the Knesset.
Firefighters were mobilized on Sunday to combat the blaze, which quickly consumed dry brush and approached the museum.
Ynetnews reported on Monday:
According to a fire official, the investigation revealed that the fire, which spread on Sunday from the Valley of the Cross in Jerusalem, ignited at three different locations. The fire moved through vegetation in the Valley of the Cross near the Israel Museum. As a precaution, museum workers were evacuated. Fire and rescue teams, assisted by six firefighting planes, managed to prevent the fire from penetrating the museum’s fences.
No artwork at the museum was damaged, though a youth center in the valley sustained roof damage.
In a separate incident on Sunday, there were brush fires in northern Israel and the Golan Heights caused by rocket barrages from Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terror group in southern Lebanon. In response, Israel targeted terror sites.
