100 Students Stranded in Poland Without Luggage

Approximately 100 students from Givatayim, Petah Tikva, and Ness Ziona, who traveled to Poland for educational trips, arrived in Warsaw to find their luggage had not been loaded onto their flights and remained in Israel. Critical items missing include a doctor's bag and warm clothing. The students' parents claim the Ministry of Education is evading responsibility, suggesting the luggage was not loaded due to labor disputes at Ben Gurion Airport. A flight delay of an hour and a half reportedly occurred over the issue before the planes departed without the luggage. Yana Shapira, a mother of a student from Ness Ziona, stated that her daughter and other students are in Poland without their belongings and there is no estimated time for their arrival. Due to security concerns, the students cannot be taken shopping to replace the missing items, so only basic necessities are being purchased. Ada, a mother of a student from Petah Tikva, believes the issue stems from ongoing labor actions at Ben Gurion Airport that have not been widely reported. She expressed concern that a Ministry of Education-supervised delegation is traveling without essential equipment, while the staff is dealing with the logistics instead of focusing on the students. The Ministry of Education stated that the arrival of the luggage is the responsibility of the airline and its contractors. They added that ministry staff are closely monitoring the delegations and ensuring students' basic needs, including clothing and essential supplies, are met. The ministry is in constant contact with parents and will provide further assistance as needed for the students to continue their trip as planned.