An American family set off a bomb scare at Israel’s main airport when they showed security inspectors an unexploded shell that they found while visiting the Golan Heights and had packed for their return trip, authorities said.
Video circulated on social media showed panicked passengers scattering at Ben Gurion Airport’s departure hall near Tel Aviv on Thursday.
The Israel Airports Authority said a man was hospitalised with injuries sustained as he tried to flee over a baggage carousel.
The Jewish Press reported that during the family’s Golan Heights trip one of the children found and took a bombshell they were planning to take home as a souvenir. When it was shown at the airport’s luggage check-in, security called for an evacuation of the area.
The airports authority said the family was allowed to board their flight after an interrogation by security staff, who declared an all-clear.
Israel, which has high levels of aviation security, clashed with Syria over the Golan during the wars of 1967 and 1973.