Student Killed, Dozens Injured in Unexploded Ordnance Blast During School Trip

A tragic incident occurred during a school trip in the Ramim Ridge area of northern Israel, resulting in the death of one student and injuries to 24 others, including three in serious condition. The explosion took place around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, as students from grades 7-8 from the Ort Yeshiva in Ma'alot Tarshiha gathered for afternoon prayers. "The children were all concentrated together at the time of the explosion, which is why there is a very large number of casualties," said the father of one of the injured students. The blast is suspected to have been caused by a Hezbollah cluster munition that failed to detonate. Investigators believe a student may have found the unexploded ordnance, picked it up, and possibly placed it in a bag, leading to the explosion when handled. Parents who rushed to the scene described harrowing moments of rescue efforts, with difficult reception and terrain complicating the situation. One father recounted how his son, injured in the leg and neck, managed to call him from the field and was guided on how to apply a tourniquet while emergency services were dispatched. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Minister of Education Yoav Kisch visited the injured students at Rambam Hospital. Netanyahu instructed the Home Front Command chief to reinforce public guidelines and warnings about the severe prohibition against touching unexploded ordnance and to conduct sweeps for such items. The Minister of Education is reportedly considering a temporary halt to school trips in the north following the disaster.