A 14-year-old boy was killed and 24 others were injured on Monday in northern Israel after an unexploded cluster munition, believed to be from Hezbollah, detonated near Kibbutz Manara and Kibbutz Yiftah, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported. The military classified the incident as a mass-casualty event.

Among the wounded were students and staff from ORT Ma’alot Yeshiva High School, who were conducting an annual field trip in the area, according to the local municipality. The Israel Fire and Rescue Authority said the explosion occurred when a bag, carried by one of the group members, unexpectedly detonated.

Medical facilities in the region responded swiftly to the emergency. Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa admitted three teenagers and one adult to its trauma unit. Ziv Medical Center in Safed is currently treating 14 injured individuals, while Nahariya’s Galilee Medical Center is caring for six more victims, including one in serious condition.

The Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service reported that two of the seriously injured were 14 years old. Of the total wounded, eight children sustained moderate injuries, and 12 had minor wounds.

Law enforcement and emergency response teams from the Northern District police, alongside bomb disposal units, the IDF, Hatzalah rescue helicopters, and Magen David Adom paramedics, were deployed to the scene. Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levi and Northern District Commander Meir Eliyahu personally visited the site to oversee operations.

Commissioner Levi stated that the field trip had been authorized by relevant agencies, based on available information. He also signaled that authorities are considering imposing restrictions on future excursions to areas where unexploded ordnance may be present in order to prevent similar incidents.