A teenager was killed and 24 students and teachers were injured, some seriously, in an explosion Monday in northern Israel, near the Lebanese border, where the group was hiking.
The group of students and teachers from ORT Ma’alot School were walking the scenic forest road in the Naftali Mountains in the Ramim Ridge area when, at around 3:30 p.m., an unexploded ordnance, believed by the Israel Defense Forces to be a submunition from a Hezbollah rocket, exploded.
During the recent war, Hezbollah launched several Grad rockets containing dozens of BRB1 submunitions into northern Israel. Rockets spread submunitions over large areas and often do not explode on impact.
Although a sign posted by the KKL-JNF Jewish National Fund warns hikers to leave the area, Monday’s hike was approved by authorities.
One of the schoolchildren reportedly discovered the unexploded submunition during the hike and put it in his backpack. A few minutes later, the submunition exploded, according to a preliminary investigation by authorities.
Another account, delivered by the commander of the northern district of the Israeli police, Dep. Comm. Meir Eliyahu said the device exploded “in the hands” of one of the students.
A photo posted online shows the cluster bomb before it explodes.
The resulting explosion killed one teenager, a 14-year-old boy, and injured 24 teenagers and adults to varying degrees, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said.
First responders conducted intensive resuscitation attempts before the teen was pronounced dead at the scene of the explosion.
MDA said two boys, both aged around 14, were in serious condition, with shrapnel wounds to their bodies, and 10 people – two adults and eight teenagers – were in moderate condition.
Twelve other students were examined at the scene for minor injuries. According to MDA, they were all in good condition.
The group was evacuated to three hospitals in northern Israel for treatment.
Ziv Medical Center in Safed said it had received 14 of the injured hikers – one in serious condition, three in moderate condition and 10 with minor injuries – while Galileo Medical Center in Nahariya said it was treating the other seriously injured teenager, as well as five of them moderately injured.
The Rambam health center in Haifa received the last four members of the group, three teenagers and one adult, who were moderately and lightly injured.
One of the doctors who intervened, David Radko, said he arrived at the scene of the explosion and saw the injured “scattered along the road”.
“Some were hanging on and trying to help their injured friends,” he said in a press statement. “Further along the course I saw people with more serious injuries.”
He praised the students for acting quickly to help their injured classmates and said some of them were able to follow his instructions by applying tourniquets to stem the flow of blood.
Several other groups of ORT Ma’alot students and teachers were walking along other routes in the area at the time of the explosion and were evacuated by security forces deployed in the area.
After the explosion, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was in contact with MDA head Eli Bin, as well as Education Minister Yoav Kisch and his own military secretary, Maj. Gen. Guy Markizeno, and was conducting “ongoing situation assessments.”
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, he asked the IDF Home Front Command to reiterate its warnings to the public about the munitions they might use.
The prime minister also canceled his remaining plans for the day, including a planned visit to the West Bank and an appearance on pro-government Channel 14, and joined Kisch in visiting some of the injured students in hospital.
The army, after opening a preliminary investigation into the incident, confirmed later Monday that the device “was likely a cluster bomb belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization that had been left in the area and exploded.”
He said the incident was being investigated further and army engineers were monitoring the area.
Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy also told reporters at the scene that police bomb disposal experts had determined that the weapon was likely a submunition from a Hezbollah rocket.
The hike in the Naftali Mountains was approved by authorities, Levy said, adding that he would issue an order limiting further hikes in the area for several days until it is confirmed there are no additional munitions.
Additionally, Channel 12 reported that Kisch is expected to announce a ban on all school hikes along Israel’s northern border until further notice.
Permissions for Monday’s hike were given despite a sign posted by the KKL-JNF Jewish National Fund near the blast site, warning hikers not to enter wooded areas and campsites due to “war damage.”
The sign read: “After war damage, the Jewish National Fund works to restore damaged sites while maintaining the safety, security and well-being of visitors. There is an absolute ban on entering forests and campsites!”
He added in Hebrew, Arabic and English: “DANGER! NO PASSING!”
Additionally, the KKL-JNF website posted a notice dated May 25, 2025, stating that the Naftali Mountains Forest Cycle Path and Scenic Route, where Monday’s explosion occurred, “are closed due to restoration of war damage.”
Israeli security and rescue forces evacuate the injured near the site of a deadly Hezbollah unexploded ordnance explosion during a school hike in the Ramim Ridge area of northern Israel near the border with Lebanon, October 12, 2026. (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)
Condolences and best wishes for the injured poured in Monday evening from lawmakers across the political spectrum.
Yashar President Gadi Eisenkot said his heart was with “the family of the person killed, the family of the injured and their families.”
“I commend the security and rescue forces who worked at the scene and I join all Israelis in praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he added.
B’Yachad President Naftali Bennett posted the text of Psalm 130, which is recited in times of distress, on
Shas President Aryeh Deri also added prayer to his statement, saying his thoughts were with the injured and their families and he was praying for their “full and speedy recovery.”
“I share the deep grief of the family of the person killed and wish all those injured a speedy recovery,” said opposition leader and B’Yachad number 2, Yair Lapid.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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