The Labor and Welfare Ministry on Monday ordered a Sharon-region daycare to close for two months, on suspicion that the staff abused the children, Ynet reported.
According to Ynet, the order was issued after the children's parents became suspicious and placed hidden recording devices in the center, which serves children from three months to three years.
The devices recorded the staff screaming at and cursing the children as they cried. Security footage also showed the staff using inappropriate force against the children.
In the records, the staff can be heard screaming, among other things: "Turn around before I don't know what I'm going to do with you, NOW, fast, go quickly to the wall, close your eyes," and, "Do you want to be slapped?" Other epithets included, "You're going to eat quietly," "Move, bulldozer. Wowwww this kid is so heavy, he's so fat he can't even move himself."
In addition, the parents collected security footage showing that the staff had taking aggressive actions towards the children.
Some of the staff were called to the police station for interrogation under warning, denied the charges, and were released under limiting conditions.
The staff did not respond to Ynet's request for comment.
Earlier this month, Carmel Mauda, a daycare operator convicted of child abuse, was sentenced to 9.5 years in prison.
Mauda ran the "Baby Love" daycare in the central Israeli city of Rosh Ha'ayin. After one daycare assistant came forward with reports of abuse at the center, police investigators raided Mauda's childcare center, locating closed-circuit cameras containing footage of severe abuse.
She was later convicted of abusing eleven children.