It was cleared for publication Tuesday morning that Elazar Yair Wilensky, a ninth-grade student, was the person killed in the explosion disaster that occurred Monday during an annual class trip in the Ramim Ridge area of the Galilee Panhandle.
The serious incident left 24 more people wounded, all teachers and students from the ORT religious high school. As of Tuesday morning, two teenage boys are hospitalized in light condition at Rambam Health Care Campus. Another teen is in moderate condition with shrapnel in his neck. The 61-year-old teacher underwent surgery overnight and remains in serious condition. At Ziv Medical Center, 13 wounded are hospitalized, two children in serious condition, one of them sedated and on a ventilator, two adults in light to moderate condition, and nine more children in light condition. At Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, three others are hospitalized in serious condition, one in moderate condition, and four in light condition.
According to the initial inquiry, one of the hikers is believed to have found a piece of ordnance and placed it in a bag, which exploded a short time later, causing the disaster.
Key points
- Elazar Yair Wilensky, 14, was killed and 24 other people were wounded in an unexploded ordnance blast on Ramim Ridge in the Galilee Panhandle
- The wounded were students and teachers from the ORT Ma'alot religious high school
- The IDF is checking whether the ordnance that exploded was a Hezbollah cluster bomb
- According to the initial inquiry, one of the hikers is believed to have found a piece of ordnance and placed it in a bag, which exploded a short time later and caused the disaster
A child who lived life to the fullest
Elazar Yair Wilensky, a ninth-grade student and resident of Ma'alot-Tarshiha who was killed in the incident, was the youngest of five siblings. His family said that Yair was "a child who lived life to the fullest. Smart and bright, full of joy, a good and beloved friend, with his whole future still ahead of him."
The Ma'alot-Tarshiha municipality said in a statement, "Mayor Moti Ben David, his deputies, city council members, and the municipality's management and staff share in the Wilensky family's profound grief and extend their condolences at this difficult and painful time. The Ma'alot-Tarshiha municipality continues to closely accompany the victims' families.
"At the same time, welfare teams and the educational psychological service continue to provide support and emotional accompaniment to students, families, and school staff. We are all praying for the wounded's full and speedy recovery. We will provide an update on funeral details in due course."
The Education Ministry said in a statement, "We express deep sorrow over the death of Elazar Yair Wilensky, may his memory be a blessing, a ninth-grade student at the ORT Ma'alot religious high school, who was killed in the serious incident during a school trip in the north of the country. Since the serious incident became known, Education Ministry teams at headquarters and in the district have been working to support those affected.
"Educational Psychological Service teams, counseling supervisors, and Educational Psychological Service instructors are working together with the district and local authorities to provide emotional support to students, families, and school staff at hospitals, educational institutions, and in the community. The work is being carried out on various levels, listening to emerging needs, accompanying the families and staff, and building a continuum of support and follow-up as needed.
"The ministry will continue to support the school community and all the students and families affected by the incident, and will offer each family a tailored response going forward, based on needs that arise and in cooperation with professional bodies.
"The ministry has instructed educational institutions to hold educational discussions in classrooms according to the students' developmental stage, their degree of proximity to the incident, and the characteristics of the population, and to continue identifying students in the circles of harm. The Education Ministry wishes the wounded a full and speedy recovery, and extends strength to their families and the entire school community at this difficult time. May Elazar Yair's memory be a blessing."
The ministry acted in accordance with Jewish National Fund restrictions
Regarding the unexploded ordnance blast disaster, the ministry said, "The Education Ministry acted in accordance with the Jewish National Fund restrictions and ordered a ban on activity in the area in question due to war damage, and the trip's planned route was not within the prohibited zone.
"As part of the trip's approval, explicit safety instructions were also issued, including an absolute ban on touching unexploded missiles and ordnance, along with an instruction to report them immediately. The circumstances of the incident and the route as it was actually carried out are currently being examined as part of an inquiry by the IDF and the police, in cooperation with the Education Ministry and the relevant professional bodies. The findings of the inquiry must be awaited before the full circumstances of the incident can be determined.
"In the coming days, the Education Ministry, together with the relevant partners, will continue to examine the activity approval framework and the accompanying safety guidelines."
