Ramim Ridge Tragedy Highlights Lingering Dangers of Unexploded Cluster Munitions
A student's tragic death from an unexploded cluster munition in the Ramim Ridge highlights the enduring dangers of active submunitions left behind in the terrain long after military engagements.
A fatal incident in the Ramim Ridge, where a student was killed by an unexploded cluster munition submunition, has once again underscored the lingering dangers of this weaponry. Long after a strike, unexploded submunitions can remain active on the ground, posing a lethal threat to anyone who touches them.
Retired Ambassador Alan Baker, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs and Security, explained that the danger persists long after launch. "The significant danger is not only at the time of the firing itself, but also months, if not years, later," he noted.
A cluster munition contains numerous small submunitions designed to scatter over a specific target area to inflict mass casualties. However, a percentage of these submunitions often fail to detonate upon impact, remaining active and highly hazardous.
According to initial IDF assessments, the submunition involved in the tragedy was fired in the past toward forces operating in the sector. During the war, an Engineering Corps outpost was located nearby.
Investigators believe the unexploded item was hidden by dense vegetation, mud, and mountainous terrain, escaping detection during searches by police and IDF bomb disposal units. Because the munition remained armed, any contact or attempt to tamper with it triggered the explosion.
According to a witness, the student who discovered the item began playing with it and unscrewed its cap, causing an immediate blast. Each submunition contains dozens of grams of standard explosive material, generating severe destructive power.
Hila Haddad Chmelnik, a former member of the Iron Dome development team, explained that cluster munitions are less effective against fortified structures but particularly lethal in open terrain. Meanwhile, retired Battalion Chief Aharon Godiner warned that shrapnel and interception debris can also scatter across wide radiuses, urging the public never to touch suspicious objects and to immediately notify the Israel Police.
