School Trip Explosion Raises Questions About Route Approval Process

A tragic incident on a school trip in northern Israel, which resulted in the death of 14-year-old Yair Wilensky and injuries to 23 others, has sparked serious concerns regarding the Ministry of Education's approval process for such excursions. Documents obtained by Ynet on October 13 reveal that authorities may be approving hikes along the Lebanon border without providing clear safety instructions. The explosion occurred on October 12 during an annual trip for 50 students and teachers from the ORT Ma'alot religious high school. The group was heading to the Ramim Ridge, near the Lebanese border, to hike a section of the Israel Trail between Kibbutz Kfar Giladi and Yiftah. The route had reportedly been cleared by the Ministry of Education and security services.

During the hike, students discovered an unexploded Hezbollah munition, which detonated. Yair Wilensky died, three others sustained severe injuries, ten moderate, and ten light. Ynet discovered that the Ministry of Education's special center had authorized the group's route, listed as "Israel Trail 2051." However, this designation appears to have combined two separate, parallel trails, one of which had been closed due to the effects of the war with Hezbollah. The two routes, the "Israel Trail" (marked orange-blue-white) and a paved road known as "Panoramic Road of the Ramim Ridge" (marked green, designated 2051), run separately for 7.5 kilometers before briefly merging.

The Ministry of Education's Situation Center approved the group's hike from Kfar Giladi to Mishkenot HaRoim viewpoint via "Israel Trail 2051." However, the same approval noted that the "Panoramic Road of the Ramim Ridge 2051" was closed for "restoration work after war damage." The Jewish National Fund (KKL) website also indicated the green-marked road was closed to hikers. The school maintains the group followed the approved route. The Panoramic Road 2051 was reportedly repaved and remarked only the previous week but had not been officially reopened, though thousands of families had used it during the recent holidays. No specific warnings about unexploded ordnance were present on site, only a KKL sign stating the route was closed due to "war damage" and "strictly forbidden."

Investigators are now working to determine if the group mistakenly took the green-marked road instead of the Israel Trail, and if this was due to the guide's confusion or a deliberate deviation. A broader question is whether any school hikes should have been permitted near areas closed due to the risk of leftover munitions, given the area's history of Hezbollah shelling during the war. Hiking guides and experts have criticized the approval process, citing a disconnect between decision-makers and the realities on the ground. They argue that the ministry should not issue ambiguous approvals like "route 2051 is permitted, but with restrictions," and that the "Moked Teva" center, which handles safety for hikes via the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) for the Ministry of Education, often lacks real-time situational awareness.

The Ministry of Education stated that the planned route did not traverse closed territory and that clear safety instructions, including a ban on touching munitions, were provided. They confirmed that the circumstances and the group's actual route are under investigation by the IDF and police, with the ministry's participation. The ministry plans to further review its approval and safety instruction procedures.