AN American family on holiday in Israel sparked panic when security officers at Ben Gurion airport discovered an unexploded shell in their luggage picked up as a souvenir.

Airport security immediately ordered an evacuation of the baggage check-in area when the shell was found yesterday, said Israel Airports Authority (IAA).

The announcement caused panic in the departures hall.

Passengers are seen running in all directions in a video posted on social media.

A traveller injured in the rush was taken to hospital.

One of the family’s children had picked up the shell during a visit to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the scene of intense fighting between Israel and Syria during the wars of 1967 and 1973, said the IAA.

It added that the family boarded their flight as planned. – AFP, April 29, 2022.