What happened

On Monday, 12 October 2026, an explosion went off during a school hiking trip near the border with Lebanon in northern Israel. Reuters, citing Israel's ambulance service, reports that a 14-year-old boy was killed and 24 people were injured, including 22 boys, two of them seriously, and two adults. Reuters gives the victim's age as 14, while 20 Minutes and SIC Noticias give 15. Earlier counts were lower: Europa Press and Der Standard reported 19 injured, and Mediafax reported at least 13. According to police and the local municipality, the group of students and teachers from a religious high school was hiking near Neot Mordechai when the blast occurred, and Mediafax reports that the students and staff came from a school in Ma'alot-Tarshiha.

Cause under investigation

Deputy Commissioner Meir Eliyahu, speaking at the scene, said an unexploded device had most likely gone off after one of the students picked it up. The Israeli military said the device was likely an unexploded cluster munition from Hezbollah, and Mediafax reports that its preliminary assessment found the munition had not exploded and remained in the area, with no clear information yet on when it was launched. Police said the first suspicions pointed to an unexploded munition near the communities of Yiftah and Manara, and explosive ordnance specialists were sent to establish the exact cause. Reuters notes that rockets and missiles fired from southern Lebanon sometimes fail to explode on impact, which can create risks for civilians years later. The area is littered with explosive devices from Israel's conflict with Hezbollah.

Injuries and medical response

Magen David Adom teams treated the injured at the site, and the paramedic Efrat Ohana described the wounds she saw.

“There were penetrating injuries, most likely the result of shrapnel impact from which fragments injured the patients.”

Magen David Adom said its teams were treating eight injured people in serious or moderate condition on site, and it mobilised ambulances, mobile intensive care units and a helicopter. The army deployed soldiers and helicopters to help evacuate the wounded to hospital. The service described the incident as complex and said the injured would be taken to hospital as soon as possible.

Political reaction

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is campaigning for the legislative elections on 27 October, interrupted a media appearance to get updates, his office said. Europa Press reports that he was briefed by the director general of Magen David Adom, Eli Bin, by the education minister Yoav Kish and by his military secretary. Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that he shared the deep grief of the family of the boy who died and wished a full recovery to all the injured, adding that the events are under investigation. The Education Ministry called the incident extremely serious, and police chief Daniel Levy said police would review whether to halt school trips in the area.

Wider border tensions

The explosion comes amid continuing tensions in southern Lebanon, according to Mediafax. A ceasefire mediated by the United States and agreed at the end of June was meant to halt months of fighting and bring about a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces. The deal also foresaw the deployment of the Lebanese army in the area, but its implementation has largely stalled. Israel continues to carry out strikes in southern Lebanon in an effort to push Hezbollah out of the territory.