JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Eli Pollak, Deputy CEO of United Hatzalah, issued a sharp call on Monday morning for caution as the Bein Hazmanim period comes to an end, following a series of serious accidents involving yeshiva students who went out on trips around Israel.

On Friday, a young man was seriously injured at the beach in Netanya, and his brother was swept out to sea and is still considered missing. The two are the children of a rosh yeshiva at the Mirrer yeshiva in Jerusalem. Yesterday, a yeshiva student drowned at a spring in southern Israel. Currently there are three yeshiva students missing from a trip to the Small Crater in the eastern Negev and search parties have been dispatched to find them.

“It’s so sad. These tragedies happen when they could be completely prevented,” Pollak said in an interview with Kol Hai. “A little caution, a little understanding of the risks, understanding what the sea is, what it means to take risks in the water, especially at an unguarded beach or when entering the sea under dangerous conditions. This is something each individual can control, and it’s something we warn about every year.”

Pollak emphasized that entering the water at unregulated beaches is essentially gambling with one’s life: “People need to understand what it means to go into the sea under such circumstances. For many years, we’ve seen how Bein Hazmanim is marked by tragedy, and it’s heartbreaking. People go out to relax, not to get hurt.”

He added that not only young people need to be aware, but also their parents: “In many cases, parents are also part of the lack of awareness. A parent needs to know where their child is going, whether the route is approved, whether there is enough water, and whether conditions are suitable. Don’t say ‘it won’t happen to me’, just check with your children.”

Pollak also referred to rescue incidents in streams and in the south: “We see cases of human error that ultimately end in disaster. Caution during trips is not a slogan, it’s a matter of life and death. We’re literally watching the clock, waiting for Bein Hazmanim to end safely, but each tragedy wakes us up again.”