Eleven Israeli infants at a daycare center in the West Bank settlement of Beitar Ilit were treated on Tuesday after exhibiting symptoms consistent with suspected food poisoning, according to police and emergency services. The incident prompted the closure of the daycare facility and notification of the Health Ministry.

Authorities indicated that the infants’ symptoms appeared following consumption of food served at the center. Firefighters and rescue personnel who responded to the scene ruled out the presence of hazardous substances or toxic gases. Magen David Adom reported that five of the infants were transported to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem. Medical staff described one infant’s condition as moderate, while the remaining four were undergoing further evaluation. The hospital noted that the children arrived with flushed faces and signs of distress.

In addition to the infants, four women who had accompanied them to the center were also being treated at the hospital, all with mild symptoms.

This incident comes months after a separate case in January, when two infants died at a private, unlicensed daycare in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Jerusalem. At that time, preliminary medical examinations suggested the infants suffered from heatstroke, as they had been left inside a stroller in a closed, air-conditioned room. Symptoms included sweating and red spots on the skin, which can be indicative of heat-related illness. Emergency responders initially suspected toxic fumes but subsequently ruled out any hazardous materials. Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital’s director, Prof. Yaniv Sherer, stated that tests found no substances in the infants’ blood explaining the incident, and suggested that heat or overcrowding might have contributed.

Separately, as of Tuesday morning, 13 people remained hospitalized following an unrelated incident, with one patient discharged Monday night. Among those still in hospital were two children in serious but stable condition, two adults with minor to moderate injuries, and nine children with minor injuries. Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa reported treating four individuals, including a 61-year-old man in serious but stable condition, a teenager in moderate condition, and two others with minor injuries. The Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya was treating seven teenagers, three of whom were seriously injured, one moderately wounded, and the remainder with minor injuries; one additional patient was discharged Tuesday morning.

The Education Ministry confirmed awareness of a directive from the Jewish National Fund (JNF) to close the Ramim Ridge trail and said it had approved an alternative route that accounted for the closure.