Israeli leaders mourn ‘terrible tragedy’ of 10 youths killed in flash flood

Israeli political leaders on Thursday evening expressed grief and offered condolences following the news that 10 youths were killed when their hiking group was caught by a flash flood in a Judean Desert canyon.

After rescue services spent hours searching for students who were swept away by the waters that surged through Nahal Tzafit, a riverbed in the southern Dead Sea area, eight girls and one boy were confirmed dead late Thursday. The body of the 10th victim, a girl, was found late Thursday night.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted: “Israel today mourns the promising lives that were cut short in the massive tragedy in the Arava. We painfully embrace the grief-stricken families and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.”

The 10 fatalities were identified as of Friday morning as Shani Shamir from the central city of Shoham; Ella Or from Ma’ale Adumim; Maayan Barhum and Yael Sadan from Jerusalem; Tzur Alfi, the only boy who was killed, from the central town of Mazkeret Batya; Agam Levy from the central Israeli town of Herut; Romi Cohen of Maor, near Hadera; Gali Balali from the Tel Aviv suburb of Givatayim; Adi Raanan of the northern Israel moshav of Mikhmoret; and Ilan Bar Shalom of Rishon Lezion.

Thirteen members of the group — who were taking part in a field trip organized by Bnei Zion, a post-high school premilitary academy they are set to attend next year — were found and retrieved by rescuers without harm, and two suffered light to moderate injuries. Police opened an investigation into the incident.

Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev announced that the second day of the European Judo Championships, in Tel Aviv on Friday, would open with a minute of silence in memory of those who had died.

“We bow our heads and ache for the terrible loss of nine youths, the best boys and girls, who perished in the massive disaster in the Arava,” Regev tweeted. “Israel is hurting today.”

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri wrote, “We all pray for the departed souls of the youths who perished today in the terrible tragedy in Nahal Tzafit. A terrible pain, a massive regret, our hearts are with the families.”

“A terrible grief has fallen on Israel this evening,” wrote Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon. “The soul cries and the heart is torn.”

Education Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement: “A terrible tragedy has struck the State of Israel. Our hearts are with the families of the youths who found their deaths in flash floods in the south.

“The Education Ministry will continue, over the coming hours and days, to assist the educational staff in the schools the students attended,” added Bennett, whose minister said it was not informed in advance of the students’ field trip.

Opposition leader MK Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union) tweeted: “Students in a pre-military academy go out to tour in our beautiful and good country at the height of their flowering. A terrible natural disaster takes these flowers before their time. There are no words. A terrible pain.”

Zionist Union leader Avi Gabbay wrote: “The death of youths who had only just begun to write the story of their lives is a tragedy that cuts to the soul and crushes the heart.”

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Tweeting during the hours before the deaths of the students had been confirmed, European Union ambassador to Israel Emanuele Giaufret wrote: “I’m following the terrible news coming from the desert. My thoughts are with the hikers hit by the flood. I hope they will all soon be able to get back to their families and friends.”

The rain caused flash floods throughout the Negev and West Bank and battered the rest of the country for a second day in a row Thursday.

On Wednesday, two teenagers were killed in separate incidents after they were swept away by flash floods.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.