The Ministry of Agriculture and the Civil Defense discuss ways to enhance field readiness with a joint plan to protect agricultural lands and forests from fires during the summer

•  Enhancing preparedness and field coordination to combat summer fires.
•  Preparing maps of forested areas and water sources and improving response times.
•  Emphasizing the national partnership to protect vegetation and support farmers' resilience.

Ramallah: May 18, 2026

Minister of Agriculture, Professor Riziq Slaimiya, met today, Monday, with the Director General of Civil Defense, Major General Akram Thawabteh, and his accompanying delegation. The meeting, held at the Minister's office in the Ministry of Agriculture headquarters in Ramallah, was also attended by the Undersecretary of the Ministry, Eng. Bader Hawamdeh, and relevant staff. They discussed mechanisms to strengthen joint field efforts to protect agricultural resources and vegetation and reduce fire risks during the summer season.

Both sides stressed the importance of raising preparedness and early readiness to combat fires by enhancing community awareness, providing field training, developing joint action plans for technical committees, and conducting practical training for the directorates of agriculture and civil defense in the governorates on the use of equipment and tools specific to response and firefighting operations. It was also decided to hold a direct meeting of the Joint Technical Committee to follow up on summer preparedness plans and enhance field coordination between the two sides, ensuring rapid response and efficient intervention in threatened areas.

The meeting addressed the importance of preparing maps of forested areas and water sources to support firefighting operations and improve the supply of water to Civil Defense vehicles during firefighting efforts. It also discussed identifying the most fire-prone areas, particularly forests, parks, and areas targeted by settler attacks, and developing proactive plans to address them.

Major General Thawabteh emphasized the importance of disseminating a culture of prevention, raising community awareness, and providing ongoing training to reduce fires and protect agricultural lands and vegetation. He stressed the need for integrated efforts among various institutions to ensure rapid response and minimize damage during the summer season.

For his part, Minister Slaimiya commended the efforts of the Civil Defense teams in protecting lives and property and supporting farmers. He affirmed the Ministry of Agriculture's readiness to dedicate all its resources to strengthening joint efforts and protecting forests, farms, and parks, emphasizing that working within the Civil Defense system is a shared national responsibility that begins with every individual and institution. Salimieh pointed out that the current summer season requires exceptional measures due to the extensive vegetation growth resulting from this year's rainfall. This necessitates adopting more effective treatment and management methods than traditional approaches, thereby enhancing the protection of agricultural lands and supporting Palestinian food security.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Minister Slaimiya affirmed that the Ministry of Agriculture will continue to work in partnership with the Civil Defense and all relevant parties to strengthen field preparedness and protect agricultural lands and forests.