Overview
- Emergency crews evacuated roughly 53–55 children from a private apartment daycare in Jerusalem’s Romema neighborhood, with two infants later pronounced dead at Shaare Zedek and Hadassah hospitals.
- Fire and Rescue testing found no toxic or hazardous substances at the site, leaving the medical cause undetermined as police and forensic teams continue their probe.
- Police detained three caregivers for questioning, and the Education Ministry said the facility had never been licensed to operate as a daycare.
- Eyewitness reports and footage described overcrowded and unsafe conditions, including infants placed in closets, hallways and near a bathroom, with concerns raised about heating practices.
- External examinations at the Abu Kabir institute were inconclusive, prompting authorities to request full autopsies as some community members protested the move and clashed with police.