American Tourists Pack Unexploded Bomb as Souvenir, Cause Massive Panic at Israel Airport
Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images
An American family caused pandemonium at Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday after a security check revealed they had packed an unexploded shell in their luggage.
“When they arrived to check their luggage, they showed the piece of the shell to security,” the Israel Airports Authority said. “Since it was a piece of a shell, the evacuation of the area was announced.”
According to Times of Israel, the Airports Authority said the family had traveled to Golan Heights in northern Israel, where one of the family’s children found the shell.
Arab-Israeli fighting occurred in the region during both 1967 during the Six-Day War and 1973 Yom Kippur War. Some remnants of the conflict remain, including land mines and barbed wire.
Americans causing problems:
An American family who visited the Golan Heights decided to bring back a souvenir: An unexploded artillery shell.
When they went to the airport to fly home, they showed their… actual bomb to security, prompting the guards to evacuate the terminal. pic.twitter.com/toJlIDVRq1
— Judah Ari Gross (@JudahAriGross) April 28, 2022
Video circulating on social media showed panicked passengers taking cover under tables and fleeing. According to the Israel Airports Authority, a 32-year-old man was taken to the hospital due to injuries sustained while trying to flee by running on a moving baggage carousel.
An American family sparked panic in Ben Gurion airport after trying to take an unexploded shell they’d found through Israeli Aiport security pic.twitter.com/j81OwtP3Rb
— The Jewish Chronicle (@JewishChron) April 29, 2022
The bomb squad was called to the scene and ensured there was no chance of the shell exploding.
After being questioned, the family was allowed to board their flight — but they had to leave the bomb behind.
