Tragedy Strikes Israeli Childcare: Suspected Toxic Leak Kills 2 Babies, Hospitalizes 53

Two babies have died and 53 more are being treated in hospital following a suspected toxic leak in an Israeli daycare. A baby girl was pronounced dead after being brought to hospital on Monday in 'critical condition', Gal Pachis, head of the emergency centre at Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem, told journalists. A baby boy, approximately six months old, was declared dead despite resuscitation efforts, the Hadassah Medical Centre said in a statement. Medics did not specify the cause of the deaths. Earlier, Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said paramedics were 'providing medical treatment and evacuating 55 casualties to hospitals in the city, including two infants in critical condition'. 'Resuscitation efforts are ongoing, and 53 infants are undergoing further medical examinations and treatment,' it said in a statement. Police said three caregivers present at the centre had been detained for questioning. The Times of Israel reported that the daycare centre in Jerusalem was operating without a licence and that investigators were examining whether the incident was connected to its heating system. The centre is located in an apartment on Hamem Gimel Street, in an area predominantly inhabited by members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. 'Forensic experts are on site conducting all necessary investigative measures to locate evidence and clarify the circumstances that led to the injuries of the infants,' police said in a separate statement. There were no signs of fire or any physical damage to the building. Zalmi Neufeld, 22, told AFP at the scene that he saw 'emergency personnel pulling kids out of the building'. 'I saw parents crying, a lot of kids crying, kids all over the place,' he added. 'It was like a war zone.' A first responder told Israeli news outlet Ynet that the number of babies in the child care centre was not immediately clear to rescue services and only became apparent while they were performing CPR on the two infants and began hearing crying children from inside the apartment complex. 'We heard children screaming, we went in and checked and what did we find? That there were children in closets, in strollers, everywhere, hidden on top of one another with blankets,' he said. Other emergency workers reported finding at least one child sleeping in a bathroom. Police earlier said the incident was suspected to have involved hazardous materials, but later ruled this out. In a post on X, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he shared the 'deep sorrow' of the families involved. 'The loss of the lives of very young children is an immense, unspeakable tragedy, and my heart goes out to all the parents and children who have been affected,' he wrote, calling for an investigation and accountability.