Mass evacuations hit Italian schools after wave of hoax bomb threats

Schools across Italy were evacuated on Wednesday following a widespread series of hoax bomb threats, France 24 reported. According to CBS News and BBC News, the threatening messages were sent to more than 6,000 schools in Italy alone. France 24 reported that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated there was no concrete danger, while BBC News noted that authorities in all affected countries reported no risk to the public. [1][3][5]

The hoax threats also targeted schools across Ireland, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, according to reporting from CBS News, the Financial Times, and BBC News. Washingtonexaminer.com and CBS News reported that schools in the United Kingdom were hit as well. The New York Times and Washingtonexaminer.com confirmed that hundreds of Italian schools were evacuated during the incident. Investigative searches across Italy and the rest of Europe found no explosive devices or suspicious objects, according to Washingtonexaminer.com and CBS News. [2][3][4][5][6]

A bomb threat is a written or verbal warning to detonate an explosive device to cause damage, injuries, or incite fear, regardless of whether a device exists. The disruption in schools follows a broader European bomb threat wave in November 2026 that affected passenger flights, media organisations, and educational institutions, prompting security searches and evacuations. [10][11]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, bomb scares had previously targeted several European passenger aircraft in early November 2026, forcing emergency landings and searches. In addition, FTMQ News reported that several schools in Cork, Ireland, were evacuated earlier after receiving emailed bomb threats before police declared them a hoax. [13][14]

Washingtonexaminer.com reported that Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto described the threats as part of a strategy to spread fear. CBS News noted that law enforcement investigations into the source of the threatening messages are continuing. [2][3]