Incredible scenes of panic after US tourists pack unexploded shell as souvenir
<p dir="ltr">Chaos erupted at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv after a family of American tourists tried to take an unexploded ordnance through airport security.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The tourists found the shell while travelling in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, according to a statement from Israel Airport Authorities, before declaring the shell to airport security when they arrived at the luggage drop-off.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Video footage of travellers running for safety or cowering on the ground after staff announced the evacuation quickly spread on social media, garnering hundreds of thousands of views.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chaos at Ben Gurion Airport in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Israel?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Israel</a> Israel after an American family on holiday attempted to check in an unexploded shell they found while visiting the occupied Golan Heights <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MiddleEastEye?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MiddleEastEye</a> <a href="https://t.co/5qsqnK23wM">pic.twitter.com/5qsqnK23wM</a></p>
<p>— Randa HABIB (@RandaHabib) <a href="https://twitter.com/RandaHabib/status/1520466409456873473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">Though the shell didn’t explode, one person was reportedly injured and hospitalised after he attempted to run along a luggage conveyor belt.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The family told agents that one of their children made the discovery while they were sightseeing in the Golan Heights - an area 150 kilometres northeast of Jerusalem which was annexed from Syria in 1967.</p>
<p dir="ltr">According to local media, the family said they were taking it home as a souvenir and were unaware of just how dangerous it was.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">After the family was questioned by security officials, the evacuation was cancelled and they were allowed to board their flight.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">⚠️A huge panic broke out at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport/TLV (Israel)🇮🇱 after one American family had an unexploded bomb packed in their luggage which they wanted to take home as a "souvenir"🙈. The bomb was found by child while visiting the Golan Heights🇮🇱 <a href="https://t.co/sPX3h8NEEc">https://t.co/sPX3h8NEEc</a> <a href="https://t.co/j74k6EhXzB">pic.twitter.com/j74k6EhXzB</a></p>
<p>— Tomáš Semrád (@Tomas40916602) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tomas40916602/status/1520848958536441863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">Israel Airport Authorities have said the incident is “currently under operational investigation”, as reported by <em><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/israel-airport-unexploded-shell-american-tourists/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a></em>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The discovery of the ordnance comes as mine-clearing operations continue along the borders of Israel, Syria, and Lebanon, as the Israeli government works to promote tourism and population growth in the Golan area, per <em><a href="https://www.traveller.com.au/chaos-at-israels-ben-gurion-airport-after-us-tourists-pack-unexploded-shell-as-souvenir-h23h6u" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Traveller</a></em>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Though the family were lucky enough to not set the shell off, unexploded ordnances are particularly dangerous because they can still be detonated, with the Australian Government’s Department of Defence <a href="https://defence.gov.au/UXO/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> urging anyone who finds one to contact police and avoid disturbing it.</p>
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<p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>
