World
Boy accidentally destroys 3,500-year-old artifact in Israeli museum
A boy on a visit to a museum in Israel accidentally knocked over a 3,500-year-old jar, shattering the relic.
“There are instances where display items are intentionally damaged, and such cases are treated with great severity, including involving the police,” Lihi Laszlo of the Hecht Museum told the BBC.
“In this case, however, this was not the situation,” Laszlo said. “The jar was accidentally damaged by a young child visiting the museum, and the response will be accordingly.”
The jar dated to the Bronze Age, between 2200 and 1500 B.C. — predating the time of Kings David and Solomon — and it was totally intact, making it a rare find and valuable artifact. Experts have speculated that the jar likely carried local supplies, such as wine and olive oil.
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A young preschooler accidentally shattered a nearly 3,500-year-old jar that was not behind glass at the Hecht Museum in Haifa. (Hecht Museum)
The museum, located in Haifa, had put the piece on display near the entrance and without protection to show a piece “without obstructions.”
The boy had pulled on the jar to find out what was inside, and that caused it to fall over, shattering to pieces. The museum immediately appointed a specialist in conservation to restore the jar, which will return to its place near the front entrance once completed.
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The 3,500-year-old jar was accidentally smashed by a reported 4-year-old boy visiting the Hecht Museum last Friday. (Hecht Museum)
The museum insisted that the piece will also return without obstructions.
Israeli museums are no stranger to incidents that destroy priceless works: An American tourist allegedly smashed a sculpture in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem in October last year.
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The Hecht Museum did not place the 3,500-year-old jar behind glass, believing there is a “special charm” to showing historical finds without obstructions. (Hecht Museum)
The tourist allegedly destroyed a pair of Roman statues dating from the 2nd Century because they were “against the Torah.” His lawyer, however, denied that he had acted out of “religious fanaticism.”
One statue depicted Athena, daughter of Zeus, and the other depicted a griffin grasping the wheel of fate of the Roman god Nemesis, according to The Times of Israel.
Police arrested the tourist at the scene, identifying him only as a 40-year-old Jewish American tourist.
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Officials on Monday revealed new details about a series of arson attacks targeting properties connected to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, alleging the suspects were recruited and directed by a Russian-speaking handler.
According to police and court reporting, the suspects were promised payment to carry out a coordinated campaign in London in May 2025, including attacks involving a vehicle and two properties linked to Starmer.
A new investigation reported that the handler is believed to be a diplomat trained in information warfare and part of a broader Russian sabotage and disinformation operation directed from Moscow, according to the Kyiv Post.
Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, were convicted in connection with the arson plot after Lavrynovych was recruited by a Russian-speaking Telegram handler known as “El Money,” according to police and court reporting. Kyiv Post reported that Carpiuc was also born in Ukraine. A third defendant, Petro Pochynok, 35, was acquitted.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a meeting on Feb. 24, 2026. (Kin Cheung / POOL / AFP via Getty Images))
According to police, Lavrynovych was recruited through Telegram by a Russian-speaking handler saved in his phone contacts as “El Money,” who allegedly directed him through a series of increasingly serious tasks while promising payment in return.
“Look, you attacked the home of a very high-ranking person in Britain. I’ll send you the money you need to leave the city,” the handler allegedly wrote in one message cited by investigators, according to Kyiv Post.
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Officials arrest a Ukrainian man who was later found guilty of setting on fire houses linked to U.K. Prime Minister Starmer. (Metropolitan Police)
The handler reportedly offered Lavrynovych Russian citizenship in exchange for carrying out the attacks and frequently voiced support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the outlet. Evidence also suggested that “El Money” was trained in information warfare by propagandists and intelligence operatives, the outlet said.
Investigators added that Russian operatives allegedly coordinated the campaign remotely through social media platforms and Telegram, using fake far-right and Muslim online communities to sow division and fear in the U.K., Kyiv Post said.
The Russian Embassy has reportedly denied any involvement, rejecting “any attempt to associate Russia or its foreign ministry with unlawful activities,” according to the report.
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Police officers stand outside Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s private home, after it was damaged by fire in a suspected arson attack in north London, Britain, May 13, 2025. (REUTERS/Toby Melville)
According to officials, the three arson attacks occurred over a five-day period in May 2025.
The first attack took place on May 8, when a Toyota vehicle formerly owned by Starmer was set ablaze.
A second fire was set on May 11 at the entrance of a residential property that was managed by a company in which Starmer had previously served as a director and shareholder.
The third attack occurred on May 12 at a house that is owned by the prime minister.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a video conference meeting outside Moscow on April 7, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
“The actions of the two men involved in these arson attacks were incredibly reckless, and it was sheer luck that nobody was killed or injured,” Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said in a statement.
Police said Lavrynovych was arrested on May 13 last year after detectives linked the suspect to the attacks through CCTV footage and phone records indicating he had conducted reconnaissance ahead of the fires.
Authorities said Carpiuc was arrested on May 17 in the departure lounge at Luton Airport moments before boarding a flight to Romania.
Updated:
Iran outmanoeuvred US President Donald Trump “like a violin” in negotiations, walking away with far better terms after sensing his desperation for a deal to end the war, former National Security Adviser John Bolton told Euronews.
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