SHOTLIST ITALY (MAY 1, 2025) (USERS MUST CREDIT “VIGILI DEL FUOCO" HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO — EDITORIAL USE ONLY) 1. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFTS TAXIING ON TARMAC, TAKING OFF ITALY (MAY 1, 2025) (USERS MUST CREDIT “VIGILI DEL FUOCO" HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO — EDITORIAL USE ONLY) - Italy has dispatched two Canadair firefighting planes to Israel following an urgent request for international assistance as wildfires spread rapidly across central Israel, forcing evacuations and injuring at least 20 people. The Italian Fire Brigade (Vigili del Fuoco) announced Thursday, May 1, that the aircraft, part of the European Union’s rescEU-IT emergency response system, took off from Italy along with a civil protection representative and a firefighter to coordinate efforts with Israeli authorities. The fires, fueled by extreme heat and strong winds, have consumed approximately 11,700 dunams (2,891 acres) of forest land in the Jerusalem hills, according to estimates from the Jewish National Fund. Israeli media reported that the scale of the blazes has surpassed the devastating 2010 Mount Carmel fire, which killed 44 people. Israeli authorities evacuated multiple communities, including Neveh Shalom, Beko'a, Ta'oz, Nachshon, and Mesilat Tzion, while a major highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv was temporarily closed. Over 111 firefighting teams and 11 aircraft were deployed to battle the flames. Defense Minister Israel Katz declared a nationwide state of emergency, mobilizing military forces to assist firefighters. Jerusalem District Fire Department Commander Shmulik Friedman warned that the current wildfires could be "the largest in Israel’s history." Israel has also requested firefighting support from Greece, Croatia, and the Greek Cypriot Administration under the European Civil Protection Mechanism. Writing by Sibel Uygun