Education Ministry Says Planned School-Hike Route Avoided Restricted Area

Israel’s Education Ministry said on October 13 that the planned route of a fatal northern school hike lay outside the area it had prohibited under KKL restrictions. It said approval included explicit instructions not to touch unexploded missiles or ammunition and to report any finds immediately. The ministry identified the pupil killed as Elazar Yair Vilenski, a ninth-grade student at ORT Maalot yeshiva high school. IDF and police investigators are examining the circumstances and the route actually taken, and the ministry urged awaiting their findings. It said it would review activity approvals and safety guidance with its partners in the coming days.