A Palestinian child was killed Tuesday and two were injured by a blast caused by previously unexploded IDF ordnance near a military shooting range in the Jordan Valley, the army said, citing reports it received.
The IDF said troops were dispatched to the scene and provided medical attention to the injured.
The military said that the children were playing with the ammunition.
“The IDF emphasizes that this area is a firing zone and entry into it is strictly prohibited and highly dangerous,” the army added.
The IDF said the incident is under investigation.
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Ahmad Ghawnameh, mayor of the nearby village of al-Jiftlik, told the Palestinian WAFA news agency that IDF troops prevented residents from approaching the site.
The region is littered with unexploded ordnance due to the presence of shooting ranges and decades of military conflict. In Jerusalem, which served as a battlefield in both the 1948 War of Independence and 1967 Six Day War, unexploded bombs are still sometimes uncovered.
The Defense Ministry last month conducted mine and unexploded ordnance clearance operations in the areas surrounding the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan Valley in northern Israel.
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