Cluster Bomb Suspected in Northern Tragedy Killing Student, Injuring 24

A student was killed and 24 others were injured in a tragedy on Mount Ramim in northern Israel on Monday, likely caused by a cluster bomb munition fired by Hezbollah during the war. Unconfirmed reports suggest one of the students picked up the unexploded munition and placed it in his bag. The device detonated later when the student set his bag down, resulting in the casualties.

Cluster bombs, also known as "splitting missiles," consist of smaller submunitions dispersed from a larger missile. Their use is considered a violation of international humanitarian law, systematically employed by Iran and Hezbollah. Approximately half of the missiles launched by Iran toward Israel have contained such dispersed munitions. The technology, used since World War II, involves a spring mechanism within the missile that ejects the submunitions at an altitude of about 7 kilometers.

Each submunition can contain between 4 to 8 kilograms of explosives and can cover a radius of approximately 10 kilometers. These submunitions can also contain unconventional materials, such as phosphorus, or conductive wires that could cause short circuits if they land on high-voltage systems. Security officials have warned that while interception systems are effective, they are not foolproof, and even fragments from intercepted missiles can be lethal. A significant danger also arises from submunitions that fail to detonate upon impact, posing a risk to civilians who might interact with them.

Following the incident, the Home Front Command emphasized that anyone discovering an unexploded munition should immediately move away, ensure others do the same, and report it to the police's emergency number, 100, for sappers to neutralize it.