How did this happen?
3 Year Old Charedi Boy Found Alone Overnight in Qalandiya
After receiving an alert, Israel Police found a three year old charedi boy alone in the Qalandiya bus terminal south of Ramalla. The boy speaks only Yiddish, and his parents were located only hours later.
Police have located the parents of the charedi toddler who was found alone overnight at a bus terminal near the Qalandiya crossing, south of Ramallah. The parents, residents of Modi’in Illit, had been searching for their son since the previous night.
According to details reported on Monday, the family did not initially contact police out of concern that they might be blamed for the child’s disappearance. People who spoke with the parents said they feared potential repercussions and therefore delayed reaching out to authorities.
The toddler, estimated to be around three years old, was found at approximately 2:00 a.m. after a passerby alerted police. Officers from the Shafat police station and Border Police forces responded and located the child alone in the parking area of the bus terminal. Police said the boy has a charedi appearance, wears a kippah and sidelocks, and speaks only Yiddish, which made it difficult to obtain identifying information.
Due to the cold weather and the likelihood that the identification process would take time, the child was transferred to the Shafat police station, and welfare authorities were notified.
Following renewed efforts to locate the family, contact was established between police and the parents on Monday morning. The parents are now on their way to meet their child.
Police said the circumstances that led to the toddler being separated from his family are still being examined, and the case is being handled in coordination with welfare officials. Authorities reiterated their call for parents and caregivers to immediately contact emergency services in similar situations, emphasizing that the priority is the child’s safety.