After a toddler drowned in Ashkelon on Thursday, the Beterem child safety organization reported that 18 children and teens have drowned so far in 2026 — a 5.5-fold increase from the same period last year. The organization noted that half of all drowning victims in the past five years were toddlers up to age 4.
The Beterem child safety organization released data Thursday showing a sharp rise in drowning deaths among children and teens in Israel. According to the report, 18 children and teens have drowned so far in 2026, a 5.5-fold increase over the same period in 2025. The organization also noted that half of all drowning victims in the past five years were toddlers up to age 4.
The data release came after a toddler, approximately 1.5 years old, drowned in a private pool in Ashkelon on Thursday afternoon. That incident followed a separate drowning in Ashkelon earlier in the day, in which a 6-month-old infant was found in critical condition after submerging in a private pool.
As The Zioneer has reported, this summer has seen a series of drowning incidents across the country, including a 5-year-old boy who drowned in a pool in Omer in early August and an 18-month-old girl who was critically injured in a pool in Beit She'an in July. Beterem has repeatedly warned about the need for constant supervision of young children near water, noting that most drownings in private pools occur when supervision lapses.
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