An Israeli teenager was killed and more than 20 other people injured Monday by a suspected leftover Hezbollah bomb as they hiked near the Lebanese border, officials said.
The Israeli military, which dispatched helicopters to the scene, said an initial review showed the explosion was likely caused by an unexploded munition from Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The explosive, which was likely a cluster bomb from a round of fighting three years ago, went off in the hands of a pupil who picked it up, Israeli police said.
I share in the heavy grief of the family of the boy killed in the explosion during the trip near the northern border, and I wish a swift and full recovery to all the injured
Police said that school authorities had received the go-ahead for the outdoor excursion in the region, which Hezbollah has hit in successive rounds of fighting as Israel pounds the Iran-backed group.
“I share in the heavy grief of the family of the boy who was killed in the explosion during the trip near the northern border, and I wish a swift and full recovery to all the injured,” Defence Minister Israel Katz posted on X, adding that the incident was being investigated.