According to the Croatian government PR statement on the 23rd of November the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu contacted the Greek Prime Minister and the Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic asking for an air assistance in fighting forest fires that broke out in northern and central Israel.

The lack of rain and very dry and strong easterly winds spread the fires across the central and northern part of Israel. Dozens of houses were destroyed or damaged but there are no dead or injured. Local meteorologists forecast that the dry and windy weather will continue for several days.

In a statement released by the Netanyahu's office said that Croatian and Greek Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Alexis Tsipras "immediately respond" to his request "and promised to send planes as soon as possible".

At the proposal of Damir Krsticevic, the Croatian Minister of Defence and with the consent of the Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, the government decided to help Israel out by sending two Canadair CL-415 planes which are part of the Croatian Air Forces fleet.