Teen Killed and 23 Injured in Northern Border Ordnance Explosion

A 14-year-old student was killed and 23 others were injured in an ordnance explosion near the northern border on Monday during an eighth-grade school trip. The incident occurred in an area close to the security fence where the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael - Jewish National Fund (JNF) maintains warning signs prohibiting entry due to unexploded ordnance and war damages.

According to initial reports, the group of students from the Ort Ma'alot Tarshiha high school yeshiva allegedly found the unexploded ordnance, played with it, and photographed it before it detonated. One parent, Eliyahu Galil, stated that the children were fascinated by the object, which resembled a cluster bomb fragment, and held it in their hands.

Casualties and Hospital Admissions

• 1 person killed (14-year-old student)

• 3 individuals seriously injured

• 10 individuals moderately injured

• 10 individuals lightly injured

The injured were rushed to medical centers across the region. Ziv Medical Center in Safed admitted 13 casualties, Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa received four, and the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya treated six.

Investigation and Official Response

Following the tragedy, the Ministry of Education claimed that the hike "was organized according to all regulations under the supervision and instructions of the IDF." However, the military is currently investigating whether formal approval was granted for the specific route near Mitzpe Pe'ar and whether proper channels were followed.

"The children were excited by the ordnance, which looked like a cluster bomb with a shaped charge. They played with it," said Eliyahu Galil, a parent of one of the students.

JNF officials emphasized that the area remains closed to hikers due to security risks and the presence of unexploded munitions, noting that no official clearance had been granted to reopen the trails.