At least 29, mostly IDF soldiers, injured in 2 separate bus accidents in Negev

Two separate traffic accidents involving buses full of soldiers occurred in different parts of the Negev within less than an hour Thursday morning, police and medics said, injuring at least 29 people and snarling traffic across the southern desert area.

Shortly after 8 a.m., police were alerted to a collision between a bus transporting IDF soldiers and a private vehicle at Nevatim Junction, near an IDF base. The accident left 11 people injured, including a 29-year-old woman who was trapped in the wreckage of her car, necessitating rescue efforts.

After she was extricated, the driver was taken to Soroka Medical Center, reported as suffering from injuries to her back and limbs. Her condition was described as moderate.

In addition, 10 bus passengers sustained minor injuries and were taken for further medical treatment.

Less than an hour later, a bus also carrying a large group of IDF soldiers crashed on Route 40 near Mitzpe Ramon, injuring 17.

Around 50 people were on the bus at the time of the accident.

The driver and one of the passengers sustained moderate injuries, while the remaining 15 were in mild condition, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said. Medics treated the injured at the scene.

Following the incident, police closed Route 40 to traffic in both directions in the Mitzpe Ramon area. Police arrived on scene to direct drivers to alternate routes and asked the public to avoid the area to allow emergency and evacuation vehicles to operate quickly.

According to data from the National Road Safety Authority, 2025 was the deadliest for road users in two decades, with 443 people killed in traffic-related incidents.

The past few years have seen an increase in traffic-related deaths, with road safety officials bemoaning persistent inaction by elected officials. The agency recorded 361 fatalities in 2023 and 351 in 2022.