Feed aggregator

Israeli authorities state that missing mother and daughter Mali and Liel Yahalomi have been found safe in Argentina, bringing an end to an intensive international search that spanned multiple countries. Investigators said the pair had left Israel voluntarily and were traced to a bus in Buenos Aires after days of coordinated investigative work involving law enforcement agencies in Israel and overseas.

The Israel Police confirmed that the two women, who had been missing since last Friday, were located alive. Video released by police showed Mali and Liel aboard a bus in Buenos Aires.

“The Israel Police, in full cooperation with all security agencies and relevant entities in Israel and abroad, operated over the past few days in an extensive and focused effort to locate the missing women,” the Israel Police said.

“Under the direction of the Israel Police Commissioner, Chief Commissioner Danny Levy, the police – led by Lahav 433 and the Police Intelligence Division – operated command centers in Israel and overseas 24/7. They allocated all necessary resources and capabilities to locate them and executed hundreds of investigative actions.”

“Following extensive efforts and joint cooperation among all agencies, including Europol and additional foreign law enforcement organizations, the missing women were located. The Israel Police expresses its gratitude to all partners in Israel and abroad for their cooperation and assistance throughout the search efforts,” the statement concluded.

A senior police official told Channel 12 News that investigators successfully reconstructed the women’s movements and ultimately pinpointed the exact bus on which they were traveling. According to the official, authorities quickly came to believe that the departure had been voluntary and that there was no immediate indication of foul play, though officers still needed to confirm their physical safety in person.

After making contact with the mother and daughter and verifying that they were unharmed and not victims of any criminal act, investigators officially closed the case. Since no legal basis existed to detain them, police allowed the pair to continue their journey.

The same police official said the women had accumulated financial debts, which led them to leave Israel.

In a statement released after they were found, the Yahalomi family said, “Above all, the family feels immense relief that Mali and Liel have been located and are alive.”

“The family wishes to thank the Israeli public for their concern and goodwill, as well as the Israel Police, the Israeli Consul in Vienna, Magen Search and Rescue, and the rescue team members.”

Confirmation that the two had been located came shortly after Austrian authorities announced that the mother and daughter had departed Vienna on their own. Vienna was the last city where they had been seen before disappearing.

Israeli media later reported that the pair traveled by train from Vienna into Germany before boarding a flight to Argentina.

Earlier in the investigation, as speculation intensified over what may have happened, family members urged security officials not to dismiss any possible explanation for the disappearance.

“For a week now, we wake up every morning with the same prayer – to find you safe and sound and bring you home. Please do not stop searching,” the family said. They added that they “demand all security and investigative authorities continue examining all potential scenarios, including the possibility of a terror-related motive, until it is definitively ruled out based on concrete findings.”

Investigators had also obtained surveillance footage showing Mali and Liel leaving the apartment building where they had been staying in Vienna. The video showed the two carrying their belongings as they exited, with no one else accompanying them.

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of travelers faced major disruptions at Ben Gurion International Airport on Friday, with passengers stuck aboard planes, families waiting hours for luggage and dozens of flights caught in an unusual backlog as roughly 90,000 people were expected to pass through the airport in a single day.

The problems intensified in the hours leading up to Shabbat, turning departure gates, baggage claim areas and aircraft into scenes of mounting frustration. Some passengers traveling overseas said they remained aboard their planes for hours after boarding because their baggage had still not been loaded. Arriving travelers encountered similar problems, with parents and children waiting long after landing for their suitcases to appear.

“The children are already impatient. We’ve been sitting on the plane for hours without knowing when we will take off,” passengers said. Other travelers described spending hours alongside baggage carousels waiting for their belongings. On several flights, crews reportedly informed passengers that congestion at Ben Gurion was also causing delays for aircraft scheduled to fly to Israel.

The Israel Airports Authority pushed back against reports that the disruption was connected to a strike by baggage handlers, insisting that no labor action was underway and that there was “no shortage of workers.” According to the authority, approximately 90 flights accumulated in a backlog during a period of just three hours, overwhelming baggage operations and placing extraordinary demands on ground services.

Airport officials said several factors converged to produce the unusual congestion, including peak summer travel and restrictions affecting European airspace, particularly in the area of Greece. The activity of American aerial refueling aircraft was also cited as contributing to the situation. Approximately 600 aircraft movements were scheduled at Ben Gurion during the day, carrying an estimated 90,000 passengers and making Friday one of the airport’s busiest days of the summer.

According to the Airports Authority, flights originally scheduled to reach Israel at different times can become compressed into a much narrower arrival window because of delays and airspace restrictions elsewhere. When large numbers of aircraft arrive almost simultaneously, available parking positions quickly become scarce while baggage crews, ground personnel and airport logistics systems are forced to handle an unusually concentrated workload.

The Airports Authority said additional personnel had been deployed and were working continuously despite the hot weather in an effort to process aircraft and luggage more quickly and shorten delays. Officials maintained that all available workers were operating at maximum capacity and asked travelers for patience as crews worked through the backlog.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev said Israel’s aviation system is dealing with particularly challenging circumstances, with the normal surge in summer travel occurring alongside security-related and aviation restrictions. She said authorities are working to preserve regular flight operations and limit inconvenience to travelers as much as possible, while noting that broader restrictions affecting regional airspace are also having consequences for flights into and out of Israel.

{Matzav.com}