A two-year-old boy was found unharmed after climbing onto an unattended baggage conveyor belt at Ben-Gurion Airport on Thursday, in an incident that has prompted a police investigation.
The child had arrived at the airport with his parents ahead of a flight to Larnaca. While the parents were completing the check-in process, the boy wandered off without their knowledge.
Toward the end of check-in, the parents realized their son was missing. After searching for him without success, they turned to police and reported the child missing.
A search was launched inside the airport, but by then the toddler had already climbed onto one of the baggage conveyor belts. He remained on the belt for several minutes before airport staff located him at a baggage sorting station.
According to the Israel Airports Authority, the conveyor belt was unattended at the time the boy climbed onto it. The authority said the toddler had traveled only a few meters along the belt before being found.
Despite the potential danger of the baggage handling system, staff discovered the boy safe and uninjured.
Authorities are now examining how a two-year-old was able to reach the baggage conveyor system without his parents noticing, and how he stayed there for several minutes before anyone found him.
Police have opened an investigation into the circumstances of the incident. The parents are expected to be summoned for questioning when they return to Israel from abroad.
The Israel Airports Authority said it is also reviewing what happened. "The toddler was not under his parents' supervision, wandered away, and climbed onto an unattended baggage conveyor belt. The matter is being handled by police with his parents," the authority stated.
