Unexploded Ordnance: Safety Risks in Conflict Zones

Six foreign workers sustained injuries Tuesday morning when an old explosive device detonated in an open area near Metula, Israel's northernmost community. The incident occurred at 6:52 a.m. in a nectarine orchard close to the northern border town.

According to MDA, the victims were men around 40 years old who were wounded when the munitions item exploded. Two suffered critical injuries, one sustained moderate wounds, and three were lightly hurt. MDA paramedics and medics, working alongside an IDF medical team, arrived at the scene and began providing immediate emergency care. The two critically injured workers and the moderately wounded individual were airlifted by helicopter to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, while the three with lighter injuries were transported by ambulance to Ziv Medical Center in Safed.

Moti Barel, a senior MDA medic, said: "We received a report about several men injured in an explosion in an orchard near Metula. When we arrived, we found the wounded conscious but suffering from injuries to their bodies. We began initial triage and provided medical treatment in the field, including stopping bleeding and administering medications. Working together with the IDF medical team, we evacuated the injured by helicopter and MDA ambulances to the hospital while continuing medical treatment."

Israel Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the incident. Police forces arrived at the scene, and bomb disposal experts from the Israel Police made their way to the location to examine the explosion's circumstances and details.

The police issued an urgent public warning: "We are calling on the public and asking them not to touch debris or interception fragments that may be found in the area from the fighting in the north. If you identify a suspicious object or unidentified item, report it to the police emergency hotline at 100."

Ziv Medical Center reported that six civilian casualties arrived this morning from the Metula area via helicopter and ground evacuation. The two critically injured patients and the moderately wounded individual were brought to the trauma room for initial medical treatment. The three additional injured workers are being treated in the emergency department.

Professor Aviram Nissan, director of the surgical division at Ziv Medical Center, reported that one of the critically injured patients was rushed into the operating room. The second critical patient is currently undergoing imaging tests to assess his condition and determine further treatment.