The death of a 15-year-old Israeli student and injuries to 19 others in an explosion near the Lebanese border on Monday have raised questions over why a school trip was organised in an active conflict zone, where tens of thousands of residents have been displaced by the ongoing war.
The explosion occurred near the community of Neot Mordechai, between Kibbutz Manara and Kibbutz Yiftach, in northern Israel, where Israeli forces remain heavily deployed amid continuing hostilities with Lebanon.
The students and staff were from a religious high school in the northern city of Maalot-Tarshiha and were on a school trip, according to Israeli officials.
It remains unclear why the school organised an excursion so close to the Lebanese border, particularly as the area has been subjected to years of cross-border attacks, heavy military activity and the use of thousands of munitions.
Israeli police said unexploded ordnance was initially suspected of causing the blast, although the circumstances remain under investigation.
Citing medical sources, police said that "the initial suspicion is that it was caused by unexploded ordnance, as a result of which about 20 people were injured with varying degrees of severity".
Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom said several of the injured were in serious or moderate condition, with paramedics treating casualties at the scene.
The explosion comes as Israel continues its military offensive against Lebanon, including strikes launched from northern Israel, while Hezbollah has fired rockets across the border.
Tens of thousands of Israelis were evacuated from northern communities following the outbreak of cross-border hostilities in October 2023, with many yet to return amid continued fears over their safety.
Israeli forces also occupy parts of southern Lebanon following a renewed escalation in March, further intensifying military activity along the frontier.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed that a student had died and said authorities were investigating the circumstances.
"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," Katz wrote on X.
ICC fugitive Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held emergency assessments after the explosion, and his office said he instructed authorities to evacuate the injured to hospitals as quickly as possible.
The Israeli military said soldiers were dispatched to assist emergency services, and air force helicopters were sent to the scene.