Israeli police arrested 18 arson suspects following the spread of wildfires near Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday.

The wildfires, which started on Wednesday, destroyed 5,000 acres of land near Jerusalem, causing several communities to be evacuated and the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv closed. Some areas were still ablaze on Thursday, The Times of Israel reported.

The fire “is not a simple thing, there is harm to nature and also harm to people, and we’re holding 18 people at the moment who are suspected of arson, one of whom was caught in the act,” Netanyahu said at the annual Bible Contest in Jerusalem on Thursday.

He also said he is “sure that we will succeeded [sic] in dealing with this challenge as well. We’re doing everything we can to thwart the fire and rehabilitate what was destroyed.”

The Fire and Rescue Services has said thus far that the cause of the fires, which began on Israel's annual independence day, remains unclear.