Criminal9/14/2026

Man Charged in Jerusalem With Poisoning Five Children Using Medication

The State Attorney’s Office filed an indictment against Yan Shamala, a 41-year-old Beersheba resident, alleging that he mixed prescription medication into jars of baby puree and returned them to store shelves in Jerusalem. After eating the puree, five children were hospitalized with severe poisoning; the source does not state the motive for the acts attributed to him.

Key facts

•The defendant: Yan Shamala, 41, a resident of Beersheba
•The court: Jerusalem District Court
•Period of the alleged acts: May–June 2026
•The victims: five children, the youngest of whom was eight months old
•Estimated dosage: at least 17 tablets in each jar
•The case number and exact date on which the indictment was filed are not specified in the source

What Yan Shamala Is Accused Of

According to the indictment, in May and June 2026, Shamala crushed tablets from the benzodiazepine class, including the sedatives “Clonex” and “Lorivan,” and added them to “Prinok” puree. He then allegedly resealed the jars and placed them on the shelves of “Zol VeBegadol” chain stores in Jerusalem. Medications of this type must not be given to children without the approval of a specialist physician.

How the Children Were Harmed

At a store on Jaffa Street, near the Mahane Yehuda Market, two contaminated jars were placed on the shelves, each of which contained, according to the prosecution, an amount equivalent to at least 17 tablets. The puree from one of the jars was eaten by girls aged approximately three and a half years and eight months: both lost their strength and experienced impaired consciousness. Tests revealed severe benzodiazepine poisoning—the level of the medications in their bodies reached 10 times the maximum value within the normal range.

The Second Incident and Safety Measures

Four additional jars, each suspected of containing at least 17 tablets, were left at a store on Jaffa Street, near the Central Bus Station. The puree from one of them was eaten by three children—aged approximately three years, 11 months, and approximately three years; they suffered from confusion, drowsiness, instability, and loss of muscle tone. All three were hospitalized, and following the incidents, the products were removed from the store and orders were issued to close two branches of the chain because of a danger to public health.

The Charges and Further Proceedings

The indictment was filed by the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office with the Jerusalem District Court. Shamala is charged with five counts of using a dangerous poison, five counts of assaulting a minor or helpless person, two counts of attempting to commit each of those offenses, as well as theft. The State Attorney’s Office requested that the defendant remain in custody until the conclusion of the legal proceedings; the court’s decision on this request and the outcome of the proceedings are not provided in the source.

What this means for you

The filing of an indictment marks the beginning of criminal proceedings in court, but does not in itself prove the defendant’s guilt. For consumers, the case illustrates that if there is suspicion that the integrity of baby-food packaging has been compromised or that a child is having an unusual reaction, it is important to preserve the product as potential evidence and seek medical treatment without delay. The closure of the stores and removal of the products in this case were measures intended to protect public health, not a final determination in the criminal proceedings.

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Case analysis based on court rulings