Investigators from the Moriah station in Jerusalem’s Zion district reported that the family had kept the piano for more than forty years. The child was playing with a relative when the heavy instrument suddenly lost balance, tipped forward and crushed his upper body
Another family member screamed for help, and together with the father they rushed to lift the weight off the child. He was evacuated urgently to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem, where doctors officially pronounced his death
Police investigation and release of the body
Officers collected witness statements and examined the piano inside the Har Gilo home. After reviewing the initial findings and consulting with the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office, the boy’s body was released to his family for burial
This marked the end of the formal investigative stage, while the family remained to face the shock and grief. From here, attention shifted to the wider public issue of child safety
Statistics on home accidents and child injuries
The Har Gilo case highlights a broader problem: according to Israel’s “Beterem” child safety organization, thousands of accidents occur each year due to falling furniture or heavy objects. Dozens end in fatalities, most involving toddlers
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Health Ministry reports confirm that home accidents are among the leading causes of child death under age four, alongside drowning and road accidents. These figures show how urgently awareness must grow, and how tragedies like the one in Jerusalem can be prevented by securing heavy items at home
