Death may wait underfoot - Israel faces a threat
In northern Israel, a 15-year-old boy was killed and 19 others injured in an ammunition explosion. The incident has again exposed the problem of unexploded ordnance and old minefields: according to IDF data from 2022, the Northern Military District alone contains about 4,000 minefields covering roughly 85,000 dunams.
An ammunition explosion in northern Israel killed a 15-year-old boy and injured 19 others. The incident has again exposed a problem that, according to the publication, continues to threaten children, tourists and soldiers: despite years of demining, thousands of dangerous areas remain in the country. The publication recalls previous cases. In February 2010, five people were hurt during a family outing on the Golan Heights, and 11-year-old Daniel Yuval had part of his leg amputated; the family said they had not noticed warning signs. In May 2013, 19-year-old soldier Roi Israel Alfi was killed during engineering work in the southern Golan, and an investigation found violations by the command. In April 2017, six-year-old Omer and ten-year-old Muhammad Abu-Kweider were killed near a Bedouin village in the Segev-Shalom area. According to IDF data from 2022, the Northern Military District alone had about 4,000 minefields with a total area of roughly 85,000 dunams. The National Demining Authority at the Defense Ministry reported clearing about 9,000 dunams and removing about 200,000 mines since its establishment. Dangerous areas remain in the Golan Heights, the Jordan Valley and the Arava. The Defense Ministry urges citizens not to approach suspicious metal objects.