A war's leftovers: Cluster munitions threaten northern Israel

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

The explosion of a cluster bomb in Israel's Galilee on Monday, reportedly left over from the war with Hezbollah, has raised new concerns over the large quantities of unexploded munitions scattered across wide areas of northern Israeli communities.

According to a security report, Hezbollah used this type of weapon for the first time during the current war, striking locations in both central and northern Israel. Following Tuesday’s explosion that injured students, their families held the army and government institutions responsible for failing to conduct clearance operations to ensure the area was free of remnants of war.

Initial findings into the incident involving the students indicate that not all the cluster munitions in the area had exploded. The bombs had fallen in the Ramim mountain range between mid-March and early April. Subsequent clearance operations uncovered a considerable number of unexploded munitions, prompting authorities to declare the area a closed military zone.

As army engineering units and explosives experts intensify clearance operations, questions have emerged over who authorized the students’ trip to an area considered dangerous because of the unexploded ordnance. Education Minister Yoav Kisch announced that planned school trips to northern Israel would be suspended until the risks could be assessed.

Meanwhile, tensions continue to escalate in South Lebanon, and Israel remains on heightened alert. The Israeli army is also taking seriously reports of military exercises being conducted by Iran.