On behalf of the people of the United States, I offer my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives in the fires in northern Israel. The people of the United States know all too well the devastation caused by wildfires, and we are fully committed to assisting Israel during this tragedy.

Our Ambassador to Israel, James Cunningham, has already issued a disaster declaration, prompting significant coordination within the United States government to identify and provide Israel with firefighting assistance. We are moving as quickly as we can to provide this assistance, and are heartened by similar efforts to contribute resources from Israel’s other friends around the world. My hope is that the fires are extinguished soon. The hearts of the people of the United States go out to the people of Israel, and we stand with them at this difficult time.