Student Recounts Fatal Explosion During School Trip in Northern Israel

A student named Yedidya described the harrowing moments leading up to an explosion during a school trip in the Upper Galilee, which killed 14-year-old Elazar and injured 24 other students. The incident occurred near the Ramim Ridge, close to Kibbutz Yiftah. Yedidya recounted that a friend, known for his curiosity about weaponry, found what appeared to be a missile fragment in a wooded area. Despite initial curiosity, the students did not grasp the danger until the object exploded, sending shrapnel flying and causing injuries. Yedidya stated that students immediately called for emergency services and used improvised tourniquets made from belts and socks to help the wounded.

Friends of the deceased, Elazar, described him as a curious and knowledgeable boy with a particular interest in wars and weapons. They expressed that no one realized how dangerous the object he found was. Some of the students who were injured and remain hospitalized are reportedly still unaware that their friend has died. The students also claimed that they were not warned by their teachers or guides about the potential danger of encountering unexploded ordnance in the area, which had been a combat zone.

Initial investigations suggest that Elazar left the marked trail to pick up a munition item in a nearby grove and placed it in his bag. The explosion occurred later while the students were sitting in a circle, though the exact cause is still under investigation. Following the incident, IDF forces located additional cluster munition remnants in the vicinity, and the area was subsequently closed off by Division 91.