Authorities reopened the main highway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem after gaining partial control of the blaze, but warned that a change in the wind could fan the flames.

Wind-fueled fires in Israel are tearing through brush outside Jerusalem, prompting the evacuation of residents and leaving more than a dozen people hospitalized.

Wildfires raged on the outskirts of Jerusalem on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of communities and the closure of a main highway as Israel appealed for international assistance.