From 1951 to 1958, the Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) drained Lake Hula, a swamp covering 12 to 14 square kilometers located north of the Sea of Galilee. The goal was to eliminate malaria-carrying mosquitoes and to create agricultural land. While the plan worked initially, it led to unintended environmental consequences. After the lake was drained, the exposed peat—organic material formed by decomposed plant matter—began to spontaneously ignite, creating underground fires that were nearly impossible to extinguish. These fires persisted for months, and the ecosystem suffered significant damage. The ecological impact was severe. Three endemic fish species and the painted frog of Hula disappeared permanently from the planet. These species were unique to the region and could not be found anywhere else. The swamp, which once served as a natural filter for the Sea of Galilee, was also altered. After the drainage, fertilizers from nearby farmland flowed into the lake, polluting its waters. Additionally, the loss of natural vegetation led to soil erosion, as the dried peat was carried away by the wind. The area, which had once supported hundreds of animal species and was a vital stopover for migratory birds, lost much of its ecological role. In the 1990s, Israel began a partial re-flooding of the valley as part of a rehabilitation effort. This led to the creation of the Hula Agamon, a wetland area that became a haven for wildlife. By the winter of 2016, the area had become home to around 42,500 cranes, a number comparable to the capacity of the Stade de France. Although the number of cranes dropped to about 20,300 by December 2025, these figures come from different counts and do not necessarily indicate a decline. Meanwhile, the painted frog, once classified as "extinct in the wild" in 1996, was rediscovered in 2011, offering a glimmer of hope for the region's biodiversity. Despite these efforts, the restoration of the Lake Hula area remains incomplete. The Hula Agamon covers only a portion of the original lake's territory, and much of the valley remains cultivated. To prevent underground fires, the groundwater level must be maintained high enough to keep the peat submerged. The original size of the swamp, which included 13 square kilometers of lake and 47 square kilometers of seasonal wetlands at the beginning of the 20th century, has not been fully restored. The story of Lake Hula highlights the complex relationship between human intervention and ecological balance.