Jerusalem, 20 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli authorities on Tuesday extended the remand of two caregivers from an unlicensed daycare center in Jerusalem where two infants died, as investigators described what police said was severe and prolonged neglect at the facility.
The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court ordered that the daycare director and a caregiver remain in custody for an additional three days. Police had sought a longer extension, citing conditions discovered at the scene.
“I was shocked by what I saw,” a police representative told the court. “This was a private apartment that had been operating for years in a pirated manner. There was clear neglect there, without any threshold conditions for a sensitive place that is supposed to house tender babies.”
Investigators said the unregistered daycare had been operating for approximately 30 years. During questioning, the director told police that awake infants were supervised directly, while others slept in cribs or strollers scattered throughout the five-room apartment, with staff members checking on them periodically.
Police said evidence collected at the scene pointed to particularly disturbing practices. “There is a clear indication that for some reason they allow themselves to house babies in a toilet stall and let them lie under the toilet on mattresses,” the police representative said. The suspects claimed the baby may have crawled into the bathroom unnoticed, an explanation investigators rejected.
“It’s hard to believe that he crawled there and took a mattress with him,” the officer added. “A child of this age shouldn’t be in the toilet.”
Investigators also disclosed that during her interrogation, the daycare director said another toddler had died at the same facility 16 years earlier. She reportedly said the child had a disability or illness and that the death was never reported to police.
More than 50 toddlers, ages four months to three years, were evacuated from the apartment after what was initially believed to be carbon monoxide poisoning. Doctors at Israel’s Institute of Forensic Medicine later estimated the likely cause of death was heatstroke and dehydration, possibly linked to an air conditioner set to unusually high heat in a closed room, though they stressed that a final determination has not been made. Rescue personnel testified that when they arrived, the air conditioner was operating at a level that could be dangerous for infants.
The two infants who died were identified as three-month-old Leah Tzipora Golovnetsitz and six-month-old Aharon (Ari) Katz.
Hospitals said most of the evacuated children were released after observation. Hadassah Medical Center reported that more than 40 children were hospitalized overnight and discharged in good condition, while Shaare Zedek Medical Center said all 27 children it admitted were released. “We share in the grief of the families who lost their most precious loved ones,” said Dr. Gal Pahis of Shaare Zedek.
The court authorized autopsies to establish the precise cause of death, but issued a temporary stay to allow the families to appeal. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear petitions filed by ZAKA, a religious emergency response organization representing both families. The justices are expected to weigh religious objections against public health considerations and the needs of the criminal investigation. Judge Anat Greenbaum wrote that while she was aware of the families’ religious position, “it is important to clarify the cause of death for reasons of public health and the police investigation.”
The prospect of autopsies triggered violent protests in Orthodox (Haredi) neighborhoods of Jerusalem, as well as in Beit Shemesh and Bnei Brak. Demonstrators blocked roads, set trash containers on fire, uprooted trees, and hurled rocks and metal objects at vehicles. Police said an elderly man was pushed to the ground during the disturbances and several suspects were arrested. Light rail service in parts of Jerusalem was suspended, and public transportation in Beit Shemesh was largely shut down, with police sealing off a Haredi neighborhood for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Education confirmed the daycare was operating illegally and said it had issued a closure order. Child welfare advocates said the case highlights the dangers posed by unlicensed childcare facilities and called for immediate action to prevent similar tragedies.
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