2 babies dead after incident forces evacuation of Israel nursery

Israeli doctors declared two babies dead after medics evacuated 55 children from a daycare centre in Jerusalem on Monday, with local media reporting the incident may have been linked to the facility's heating system.

A baby girl was pronounced dead after being brought to hospital in "critical condition", Gal Pachis, head of the emergency centre at Shaare Zedek Hospital, told journalists in a statement broadcast live on television.

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.

The centre, which officials said had operated without a licence, is located in an apartment on Hamem Gimel Street, in an area predominantly inhabited by members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.

Resident 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."

Shay Nehemia, a commander for Israel's fire and rescue agency, told reporters that "there was a strong odour" when teams arrived on the scene, but that "no material has been found, no indication of any hazardous substance".

Nehemia said the investigation was ongoing.

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.

Unspeakable tragedy

Police said three caregivers present at the centre had been detained for questioning.

The Times of Israel reported that investigators were examining whether the incident was connected to the daycare centre's heating system.

Israel's Education Minister Yoav Kisch said he instructed authorities to formulate a plan to shut down private facilities operating illegally in the wake of the "tragic incident".

"Helpless infants lost their lives in a private facility that operated without a license and without oversight, in violation of the law," Kisch said in a statement.

Police said "forensic experts are on site conducting all necessary investigative measures to locate evidence and clarify the circumstances that led to the injuries".

The nursery is on the second floor of what looked like a residential building that bore no markings identifying it as a daycare centre, an AFP correspondent reported.

There were no signs of fire or any physical damage to the building, the correspondent reported, adding that several medics and police officers were deployed in the area.

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.

Several other Israeli politicians reacted to the incident, including opposition leader Yair Lapid, who called for the children's death not to be instrumentalised for political ends.

AFP