Bad Idea 101: Bring an unexploded shell to a high-security airport. Check. Trigger a panic evacuation. Check. Execute said evacuation in the most chaotic way possible. Check.
It wasn't clear what an American family was expecting when they brought an unexploded shell to Israel's main airport on Thursday, but when they showed the explosive to security inspectors, the result was a full-blown bomb scare.
The family had apparently found the shell while visiting the Golan Heights, a region in the Levant, and had packed it for their return trip as a souvenir.
Video circulated on social media showed panicked passengers scattering at Ben Gurion Airport's departure hall.
The Israel Airports Authority said a man was hospitalised with injuries sustained as he tried to flee over a baggage carousel.
It said the family was allowed to board their flight after an interrogation by security staff, who declared an all-clear.
Israel, which boasts high levels of aviation security, clashed with Syria over the Golan during the wars of 1967 and 1973.
