Police outside of the Zol Bagadol supermarket in Jerusalem on June 17, 2026, as law enforcement investigates multiple incidents of children being hospitalized after eating tainted fruit puree.
‘Israeli’ arrested after poisoning baby food
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- The 'Israeli' suspect is facing several charges, while his lawyers argue his mental health conditions should be taken into account in the investigation.
The 'Israeli' Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court extended Tuesday the detention of Yan Shemla, a 40-year-old Jewish man from southern 'Israel' suspected of deliberately tampering with baby food jars and lacing them with prescription sedatives at two supermarket locations in Jerusalem.
Shemla was arrested on Monday at his home following a multi-month police investigation into the poisoning of infants. He faces severe charges including the deliberate use of poison to endanger human life, theft, and negligent handling of controlled substances.
During the hearing, the suspect's court-appointed attorney claimed his client suffers from severe psychological conditions, prompting the court to order a psychiatric evaluation while extending his remand through September 6 to allow investigators to complete questioning.
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The crisis began in May and June when at least four young children were hospitalized at Hadassah Medical Center after suffering severe fatigue, drowsiness, and confusion.
Laboratory tests conducted by the Health Ministry confirmed the presence of clonazepam and lorazepam, strong prescription medications from the benzodiazepine family, in five jars of "Prinok" fruit puree purchased at two branches of the Zol Begadol supermarket on Jaffa Street.
False accusations against Palestinians
Before the court lifted the publication ban on the suspect’s identity, 'Israeli' media outlets, led by Channel 14, were quick to point the finger at Arab citizens of the 1948 territories, portraying the food contamination as a “nationalistic” attack.
