Two 13-Year-Old Girls Drown in Jordan River Near Lehavot HaBashan During Family Outing

A tragic drowning incident occurred on June 27, 2026, in the Jordan River near the kibbutz Lehavot HaBashan, where two 13-year-old girls from Abu Snan, Hala Azam and Iman Khir, lost their lives. The girls were part of an extended family outing that included relatives such as aunts and uncles, but were not directly supervised by their parents. The family gathered on the riverbank while the girls entered the water, apparently unnoticed by the adults. Three girls were involved; one managed to hold onto the riverbank and was rescued but remains in severe trauma and has not yet spoken about the event.

The girls went missing in the afternoon, and at 17:04, emergency services in the Northern District received reports of the two being swept away after their friends alerted authorities. Rescue teams including firefighters from the Galil-Golan region, the Northern District’s special rescue unit, Israeli police, Golan rescue volunteers, and Magen David Adom personnel were dispatched. Due to the complexity of the rescue, the national firefighting special rescue unit "Lahavah" divers were also called in. Search efforts lasted about five hours into the night, involving boats, foot patrols, and underwater searches with advanced technology.

One girl was found deceased first, and after continued searching, the second was located at 22:12 on the riverbed. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Northern District Commander Ya’ir Elkayim described the difficult rescue operation and expressed regret over the outcome. The river section near the Lehavot HaBashan bridge, south of the Sde Nehemia promenade, appeared deceptively calm but proved deadly due to relatively deep, murky waters, muddy riverbed, and dense vegetation. Rescue officials noted that even shallow water can be fatal for weak swimmers, and the girls may have panicked upon realizing the water was deeper than expected.

This incident adds to a worrying trend of drownings in Israel. Earlier the same day, a 14-year-old boy was rescued in critical condition after drowning in a pool in the Emek Hefer Regional Council area. According to the "Beterem" Child Safety Organization, 11 children and teenagers have drowned in Israel since the start of 2026, and 84 have died from drowning over the past five years (2021-2025). Orly Silbinger, CEO of Beterem, warned of a sharp rise in drowning incidents this year and urged parents to maintain constant supervision of young children near water and to educate teenagers about water safety, emphasizing swimming only in designated areas with active lifeguards and in groups.