A 15-year-old boy was killed Monday afternoon when suspected unexploded ordnance detonated during a school trip near Mitzpe Pe'er along Israel's northern border. About 20 people were reported injured, three of them seriously, in the explosion, which struck a group of students and teachers from the ORT Yeshiva High School in Ma'alot-Tarshiha.
The teenager was among those taking part in the school's annual hiking trip along the Israel National Trail, a long-distance route stretching across the country. The explosion occurred on the first day of the hike. Footage from the scene showed hikers' personal belongings scattered across the ground in the aftermath of the blast.
The scene near Mitzpe Pe'er
(Video Avihu Shapira)
It remains unclear whether the explosion was triggered when someone stepped on the unexploded ordnance or whether another factor caused the detonation.
Fourteen ambulances were dispatched to the scene, while the IDF mobilized additional rescue teams, including three military helicopters. The military said the circumstances of the incident were under investigation.
Israel Police confirmed that unexploded ordnance was suspected of causing the explosion. Officers from the Kiryat Shmona police station, together with bomb disposal experts, were working to secure the scene, isolate the surrounding area and determine the origin of the blast.
Police urged the public to stay away from the area and allow emergency and security personnel to carry out their work. They also called on anyone encountering unexploded ordnance or suspicious objects to keep their distance and report them to the police emergency hotline at 100.
The scene of the blast
'He was just meters from the explosion'
One student who was taking part in the school trip described the moments after the explosion.
"I heard a huge explosion and we ran. A lot of children were injured," he said.
Eliyahu, whose son was also among the students on the hike, described the uncertainty and anxiety among families as details of the explosion began to emerge."I spoke to my son. He was apparently just meters away from the explosion," he said. "We still don't know which class was hit. Everyone is under enormous stress, and nobody knows who was injured."
"It's a school trip along the Israel National Trail. They started today. Suddenly, they heard an explosion and he ran," Eliyahu said. "They're waiting there to be evacuated. The group my son was with wasn't hurt."
The Ma'alot-Tarshiha municipality confirmed that students and school staff had been injured. Mayor Moti Ben David and municipal teams immediately headed to the scene and began coordinating with emergency services, rescue personnel and education officials.
"At this stage, the details of the incident and the conditions of those injured are still being clarified," the municipality said. "We are working to establish a complete picture and will provide verified updates as they become available."
The municipality said it would not conduct media interviews at this stage and urged the public to respect the privacy of the students and their families and refrain from spreading unverified information.
The scene of the incident
(Photo: Magen David Adom)
(Photo: Avihu Shapira)
"I spoke to my son. He was apparently just meters away from the explosion," he said. "We still don't know which class was hit. Everyone is under enormous stress, and nobody knows who was injured."
"It's a school trip along the Israel National Trail. They started today. Suddenly, they heard an explosion and he ran," Eliyahu said. "They're waiting there to be evacuated. The group my son was with wasn't hurt."
The Ma'alot-Tarshiha municipality confirmed that students and school staff had been injured. Mayor Moti Ben David and municipal teams immediately headed to the scene and began coordinating with emergency services, rescue personnel and education officials.
"At this stage, the details of the incident and the conditions of those injured are still being clarified," the municipality said. "We are working to establish a complete picture and will provide verified updates as they become available."
The municipality said it would not conduct media interviews at this stage and urged the public to respect the privacy of the students and their families and refrain from spreading unverified information.
'A complex incident'
Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's national emergency medical service, said it received the initial report at 2:53 p.m. through its 101 emergency hotline.
Itzik Shoshan, head of MDA's Yarden region, said emergency teams rushed to the area in large numbers immediately after receiving the report."When we received the report of an explosion in an open area in the Upper Galilee Regional Council, we immediately dispatched large numbers of ambulances, mobile intensive care units and an MDA helicopter," Shoshan said.
"When we arrived, we found several casualties with injuries of varying severity. We immediately began providing medical treatment to eight people with serious and moderate injuries, as well as others who were lightly injured."
"This is a complex incident," he added. "We are continuing to provide medical treatment to the injured at the scene and evacuate them to hospital as quickly as possible."
The Education Ministry described the explosion as an extremely serious incident and said it was working closely with security forces and professional teams to support the students, teachers and their families.
"This is an extremely serious incident, and our thoughts are with the injured and their families," the ministry said. "We are working alongside security forces and all relevant professional bodies to provide assistance to the students, educational staff and their families."
The ministry also appealed to the public to act responsibly and avoid circulating unverified information while the circumstances of the explosion were still being established.
The scene of the incident
(Photo: Magen David Adom)
"When we received the report of an explosion in an open area in the Upper Galilee Regional Council, we immediately dispatched large numbers of ambulances, mobile intensive care units and an MDA helicopter," Shoshan said.
"When we arrived, we found several casualties with injuries of varying severity. We immediately began providing medical treatment to eight people with serious and moderate injuries, as well as others who were lightly injured."
"This is a complex incident," he added. "We are continuing to provide medical treatment to the injured at the scene and evacuate them to hospital as quickly as possible."
The Education Ministry described the explosion as an extremely serious incident and said it was working closely with security forces and professional teams to support the students, teachers and their families.
"This is an extremely serious incident, and our thoughts are with the injured and their families," the ministry said. "We are working alongside security forces and all relevant professional bodies to provide assistance to the students, educational staff and their families."
The ministry also appealed to the public to act responsibly and avoid circulating unverified information while the circumstances of the explosion were still being established.
Netanyahu orders swift evacuation of injured
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was briefed on the explosion and spoke with MDA Director General Eli Bin, Education Minister Yoav Kisch and his military secretary, the Prime Minister's Office said.
"The prime minister asked to ensure that the injured are evacuated to hospitals as quickly as possible and continues to conduct ongoing situation assessments," his office said.
Police and military personnel continued investigating the circumstances of the explosion as emergency services worked to evacuate the injured.
First published: 15:16, 10.12.26