By Pesach Benson • October 12, 2026
Jerusalem, 12 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli authorities are investigating a deadly explosion that struck a group of students and teachers from a northern Israeli religious high school during an annual outing on Monday, killing one person and injuring 19 others.
The group from ORT Ma’alot High School Yeshiva, in Ma’alot-Tarshiha, was hiking in the Mitzpe Peer area near the Lebanese Border, close to Kibbutz Neot Mordechai, when the blast occurred.
Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s emergency medical service, confirmed the fatality. Three people were reported in serious condition, several others sustained moderate injuries, and the remaining casualties were lightly injured.
The explosion triggered a large-scale rescue operation as emergency crews worked to treat casualties and remove the group from an area where unexploded munitions may pose an additional danger.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) dispatched helicopters, engineering troops and bomb-disposal specialists, alongside its search-and-rescue unit. Police and MDA personnel also joined the operation. Military officials said evacuees were being airlifted because moving people out by ground was challenging.
The cause of the explosion remains unclear. The IDF has opened an investigation, while unconfirmed media reports suggested that the blast was caused unexploded ordnance — possibly from an old Hezbollah rocket.
Authorities said the hiking route had been approved by the military and police. Police are separately examining whether the Education Ministry’s procedures for authorizing the trip were followed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received updates and spoke with MDA Director General Eli Bin, Education Minister Yoav Kisch and his military secretary. Netanyahu’s office said he had instructed officials to ensure the injured reached hospitals as quickly as possible.
Kisch was traveling to the scene. In a statement, the Education Ministry said: “This is an extremely difficult event, and our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
The ministry said it was coordinating with security forces and other agencies to assist students, school staff and relatives. It also urged the public not to circulate unverified reports while the circumstances were being clarified.
Ma’alot-Tarshiha Municipality officials also traveled to the scene, calling for privacy for the affected families as the investigation continues.
