Education Ministry denies approving trip through restricted area following deadly explosion

The Education Ministry denied on Tuesday that it had approved a school trip through an area closed by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), following Monday's deadly explosion of a Hezbollah ordnance in northern Israel that killed a 14-year-old student and wounded more than 20 others.KKL Chairman Eyal Austrinsky told Army Radio that the Education Ministry's situation room should have been aware that the forest had been deemed unsafe, while the ministry claimed it "acted in accordance with KKL-JNF restrictions and prohibited activity in the area in question due to war damage, and the planned hiking route was not within the prohibited area," the ministry said.The ministry added that explicit safety instructions had been issued when the trip was approved, including an absolute prohibition on touching unexploded missiles or ammunition and a requirement to report any such objects immediately.The statement did not establish whether the students followed the approved route throughout the trip, an issue investigators are now examining."The circumstances of the incident and the route actually taken are currently being examined as part of an IDF and police investigation, in cooperation with the Education Ministry and the relevant professional authorities," the ministry said."It is necessary to await the findings of the investigation before the full circumstances of the incident can be determined."The ministry said it would continue reviewing the procedures for approving school activities and their accompanying safety instructions with the relevant authorities over the coming days.Hezbollah cluster munition detonates, killing one, wounding dozensOn Tuesday, the student killed in the blast was identified as Elazar Yair Wilensky, 14, from Ma'alot-Tarshiha. The explosion also wounded students and staff members, several of them seriously.According to a preliminary investigation, one of the students had reportedly picked up an unexploded munition and placed it in his bag before it detonated. The circumstances surrounding the handling of the munition remain under investigation.Education Minister Yoav Kisch said Monday that the trip and its route had received the required approvals. Following the explosion, the ministry announced that school trips to areas along the Israel-Lebanon border on Tuesday and Wednesday would be diverted to other locations.Additionally, the Home Front Command has announced it would be stepping up its public information efforts regarding the dangers of unexploded ordnance, including public awareness campaigns and safety instructions.Metula mayor decries decisions to suspend trips to northern IsraelMetula Mayor David Azulay strongly criticized proposals to suspend hiking routes, warning that such a move would deal another devastating blow to tourism and daily life in the Galilee."The decision to suspend trips is wrong," Azulay stated emphatically.He compared the public debate to previous crises that had harmed the region."I remember the amoeba incident in the Sea of Galilee – they killed tourism at the Sea of Galilee. Do they want to kill tourism in the Galilee, which already doesn't have many visitors? As painful as this is, people need to be alert and careful, and walk only on marked trails. There shouldn't be anything on the trails because inspections were carried out."Azulay stressed that the dangers in the area extend far beyond a single type of weapon."It's not just cluster munitions. A cluster bomb like that contains between 39 and 69 bomblets, depending on the type. Most of the bomblets eventually explode, but there is other unexploded ordnance, mortar shells, rockets of various types that were fired, drones and UAVs."