20 Israelis, including students, were injured during a school trip following an explosion near the border with Lebanon

At least 20 Israelis, including students and employees, were injured as a result of an explosion that occurred during a school trip near the Lebanese border. The Israeli army said that the preliminary investigation showed that the cause appeared to be a cluster bomb that did not explode during hostilities against the Lebanese Hezbollah. An Israeli army statement said on Monday: “Following up on the explosion that occurred in the north of the country, it appears from the preliminary investigation conducted by the IDF forces at the site that the talk appears to be about a cluster bomb belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which remained in the area and exploded.”

The statement added that the incident is still under investigation, and the army continues combing operations and work in the area. For its part, the Israeli Emergency and Ambulance Service (Magen David Adom) said that 20 Israelis were injured, several of whom were in critical condition.

While the police said that initial estimates indicate that the explosion was caused by unexploded ordnance along the border near the villages of "Yiftah" and "Manara," noting that explosives experts are examining the cause of the explosion. In a statement, the municipality of Ma'alot-Tarshiha in northern Israel reported that the students and employees were on an annual school trip when the explosion occurred.

For its part, the Ministry of Education described the incident as “extremely difficult,” expressing its solidarity with the victims and their families. Magen David Adom described the incident as "complex" and sent several teams to the site.