Forty-seven Israeli tourists were left stranded in Bosnia after their passports were accidentally thrown into a trash bin at a hotel reception desk, according to the travelers.
The group was due to return to Israel on Saturday but was unable to board their flight without travel documents. They have been forced to remain at the hotel until replacements can be arranged.
“After checking the security cameras, we discovered the passports were mistakenly thrown into the garbage,” several tourists told Ynet. “From the trash at reception they were taken to garbage trucks and then to a landfill. We’ve been forced to stay at the hotel for another 48 hours, maybe longer. We fear we could be stuck here for more than a week.”
While authorities described the incident as accidental, some travelers expressed suspicion it may not have been a simple mistake.
“This is very strange,” one Israeli said. “How can someone throw away passports? Everyone is silent. We suspect the passports were thrown out because they had the Israeli emblem. We demand a clear answer, because this is a serious act that harms people. We asked how it happened, and we still haven’t received answers.”
The hotel has not issued a comment.
The Foreign Ministry confirmed the incident, saying, “The matter is known and is being handled by the Department for Israelis in Distress Abroad and Israel’s embassy in Belgrade.”
- Itamar Eichner contributed to this report.