Unexploded Ordnance Kills One in Northern Israel Hiking Blast

An explosion killed one person and injured 19 others, including children, on Monday in northern Israel. The blast occurred while students and staff from a religious high school in Maalot-Tarshiha were hiking near the Lebanese border.

Israeli Police and medical sources stated the initial suspicion is that the blast was caused by unexploded ordnance. Magen David Adom emergency services reported that eight of the victims sustained serious or moderate injuries.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the rapid evacuation of the injured to hospitals and scrapped his scheduled plans to hold assessments regarding the incident. The Israel Defense Forces dispatched soldiers and air force helicopters to the scene to provide assistance in the region, which is characterized by ongoing conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants.