Education Ministry Investigates Deviation from Approved Route After Fatal Unexploded Ordnance Incident

Initial investigations indicate that students found the unexploded ordnance off a marked trail in a grove. Some students took photos with the munition and played with it, and one student reportedly placed it inside his backpack, where it detonated about an hour later while the group was gathered near a road. Following the blast, Division 91 closed the area along the Ramot Naftali road, and bomb disposal experts searched other students' bags after reports emerged that some had collected additional ordnance.

The tragedy has sparked a dispute between the Israeli police and the IDF. The police accused the military of failing to clear unexploded ordnance from areas under its control, while the IDF stated it is responsible for clearing the remnants of combat. The Ministry of Education confirmed the trip had received all necessary security approvals from the IDF and the ministry's situation room, although the Jewish National Fund had posted a sign prohibiting entry to the area due to restoration work.

In response to the incident, Education Minister Yoav Kisch announced a 48-hour suspension of school trips near the northern border and the northern Golan Heights for October 13 and 14, directing groups to alternative routes. The disaster has also drawn scrutiny to a Knesset demining subcommittee led by MK Nissim Vaturi, which has held only two official meetings during the current Knesset term, raising questions about parliamentary oversight of demining efforts.