Israeli Students Injured, One Killed, After Playing With Hezbollah Cluster Munition

A 14-year-old boy was killed and 27 other students were injured, three critically, when a suspected Hezbollah cluster munition exploded during a school trip in northern Israel on October 12. Military officials believe the incident occurred when students from the ORT Maalot-Tarshiha religious school found an old cluster sub-munitions, believed to be from Hezbollah, and began playing with it. Parents of the students reported that the children were interacting with the unexploded ordnance, with one witness stating a student unscrewed a part of it, causing the explosion.

The group of 50 eighth-graders and teachers were on an annual hike in the Ramim ridge area, near the Lebanese border, when the students discovered the munition. Some students took photos with it, and one reportedly placed it in his backpack before it detonated. Eliyahu Galil, father of one student, said his son sent him a photo of the device, which resembled a cluster munition element, and that the students were excited by their find. He added that the explosion happened later, possibly when the backpack was set aside.

Dvir Klein, father of Itay, who sustained a leg injury, recounted that the explosion occurred while the students were gathered for afternoon prayers, contributing to the high number of casualties. He praised the students for their quick thinking in assisting the wounded, noting that three years of conflict had prepared Israelis for such emergencies. However, he acknowledged the grave error of the children playing with the dangerous device, a mistake he attributed to a desensitization to such risks over decades.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Education Minister Yoav Kisch visited the injured students in the hospital on the evening of October 12. Eitan Masouri, who was wounded in the neck, described to the Prime Minister how a student unscrewed a part of the munition, causing the blast. He recounted the immediate shock, followed by the realization of his own injury and his attempt to help a friend.

Minister Kisch stated that all aspects of the incident would be thoroughly investigated, acknowledging the students' role in aiding the injured. He confirmed the excursion had been approved and coordinated in advance. However, Kisch ordered a 48-hour suspension of all school trips near the northern border for a review of procedures, redirecting planned excursions to alternative locations. He emphasized the need for extreme caution with unexploded ordnance, comparing it to the danger posed by scorpions.

Contradictory information emerged regarding the safety checks of the area. While Kisch stated the area had been cleared by the IDF, the Jewish National Fund (JNF), and the Home Front Command, Ynet reported that a sign prohibiting entry into the forest near the explosion site was present. The JNF confirmed the prohibition was still in effect and that the area had not been cleared since the last war with Hezbollah. Kisch later conceded that students might have strayed from the approved path, promising further investigation with the IDF.