Israel has withdrawn its request for international help to fight against one of the country's largest ever wildfires after firefighters battled flames overnight.

Israel’s Yair Lapid had appealed to Cyprus, Italy and France for help on Monday but said today that there was no longer a “need for international assistance”.

Mr Lapid praised firefighters who had been working “very hard for long days in difficult conditions”.

Blazes are reported to have consumed around 20 square kilometers of wooded land outside Jerusalem since Sunday, causing sky-darkening clouds to reach the city. 

Communities were evacuated though many were later allowed to return, according to Israeli media. 

Wildfires were “mostly contained” as of Tuesday morning though there were some fears that strong winds in the afternoon could cause fires, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Israel’s environmental protection ministry warned today against high levels of air pollution in some local areas, according to the news website.

Fire and Rescue chief Dedi Simchi told reporters on Monday the “fire broke out as a result of human actions.”

“Whether it’s negligence or rashness or malice or arson, we don’t know,” he added, according to the AP.