Teen killed, 24 injured by unexploded Hezbollah munition on hike near Lebanon border

A teenager was killed and 24 school students and teachers were wounded, some of them seriously, in an explosion in northern Israel near the Lebanon border on Monday, where the group was hiking.

The group of students and teachers from the ORT Ma’alot school were hiking the Naftali Mountains Forest scenic route in the Ramim Ridge area when, at around 3:30 p.m., a piece of unexploded ordnance, believed by the Israel Defense Forces to be a cluster submunition from a Hezbollah rocket, detonated.

During the recent war, Hezbollah launched several Grad rockets containing dozens of BRB1-type submunitions at northern Israel. The rockets spread the submunitions over wide areas, and they often do not explode on impact.

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One of the schoolchildren is believed to have come across the unexploded submunition during the hike and put it in his backpack. Several minutes later, the submunition exploded, according to a preliminary probe by authorities.

Another account, delivered by the commander of the Israel Police’s Northern District, Dep. Comm. Meir Eliyahu, said that the ordnance exploded “in the hands” of one of the students.

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The resulting blast left one teenager, a 14-year-old boy, dead, and injured 24 teens and adults to varying degrees, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said.

First responders carried out intensive resuscitation attempts before the teen was pronounced dead at the scene of the blast.

MDA said that two boys, both around 14, were in serious condition with shrapnel wounds across their bodies, and 10 people — two adults and eight teenaged boys — were in moderate condition.

Another 12 students were assessed at the scene for light injuries, all of whom MDA said were in good condition.

The group was evacuated to three hospitals in northern Israel for treatment.

Ziv Medical Center in Safed said it received 14 of the injured hikers — one in serious condition, three in moderate condition, and 10 who were lightly hurt — while the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya said it was treating the other seriously injured teen, as well as five of those moderately hurt.

Rambam Healthcare Center in Haifa received the final four members of the group, three teenagers and one adult, who were moderately and lightly hurt.

One of the responding medics, David Radko, recounted arriving at the scene of the blast and seeing the injured “scattered along the road.”

“Some were holding onto and trying to help their wounded friends,” he said in a statement to the press. “Further along the route, I saw those with more severe injuries.”

He commended the students for acting swiftly to help their injured peers and said some of them were able to follow his instructions to apply tourniquets to stem the flow of blood.

Several other groups of students and teachers from ORT Ma’alot had been hiking along other routes in the area at the time of the blast, and were evacuated by security forces deployed to the area.

Following the blast, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was in contact with MDA chief Eli Bin, as well as Education Minister Yoav Kisch, and his own military secretary, Maj. Gen. Guy Markizeno, and was conducting “ongoing situational assessments.”

The premier also canceled his remaining plans for the day, including a scheduled visit to the West Bank and an appearance on the pro-government Channel 14.

The military, having launched a preliminary investigation into the incident, confirmed later on Monday that the ordnance “was likely a cluster bomb belonging to the Hezbollah terror organization that had been left in the area and exploded.”

It said the incident was under further review, and that army sappers were scanning the area.

Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy also told reporters at the scene that police sappers had determined the ordnance was likely a submunition from a Hezbollah rocket.

The hike in the Naftali Mountains had been approved by authorities, Levy said, adding that he would be issuing an order limiting further hikes in the area for several days until it is confirmed clear of any additional ordnance.

Additionally, Channel 12 reported that Kisch was expected to announce a ban on all school hikes along Israel’s northern border until further notice.

Condolences and well wishes for the injured poured in from lawmakers across the political spectrum on Monday evening.

Yashar chair Gadi Eisenkot said his heart was with “the family of the person killed, the injured, and their families.”

“I commend the security and rescue forces working at the scene and join all Israelis in praying for the wounded’s speedy recovery,” he added.

B’Yachad chair Naftali Bennett posted on X the text of Psalm 130, which is recited in times of distress, and said he was “praying with all of Israel for the recovery of the students and teachers.”

Shas chair Aryeh Deri also attached the prayer to his statement, saying his thoughts were with the injured and their families and that he is praying for their “complete and speedy recovery.”

“I share in the profound grief of the family of the person killed and wish all the wounded a speedy recovery,” Opposition Leader and B’Yachad No. 2 Yair Lapid said.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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