The explosion occurred near the community of Neot Mordechai, between Kibbutz Manara and Kibbutz Yiftach, according to police. Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service reported eight casualties in serious and moderate condition, with several additional people suffering mild injuries. The municipality of Maalot-Tarshiha said those injured were from a religious high school on an outing.
Police officers from the Kiryat Shmona station secured and cordoned off the area while bomb disposal experts investigated the source of the explosion.
Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh, reporting from Ramallah, said some of the injured were in critical condition. Odeh noted that the incident is a reminder that northern Israel and the border with Lebanon remain an active military zone where thousands of munitions have been used over the past three years.
The explosion mobilised Israel's political leadership. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to the area, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir cancelled a planned engagement, Odeh reported.
Tens of thousands of Israelis living in the north were displaced after Lebanon's Hezbollah group began firing rockets following the 2023 Gaza war. Despite a ceasefire, many residents have not returned. In March, Israeli forces began occupying southern Lebanon after a renewal of hostilities following US and Israeli operations against Iran.
Odeh said many displaced residents lack confidence that the government can protect them, citing extensive rocket damage to communities and the continued volatile situation.