Israeli Mother and Daughter Detained in Namibia After Fleeing Israel

Mali and Liel Yalomi, an Israeli mother and daughter, have been detained in Namibia, southwestern Africa, on suspicion of using forged passports, Israeli police announced Wednesday, October 7. The pair previously made headlines in August 2026 after disappearing from Vienna, Austria, sparking fears of abduction or murder. A week later, they were found on a bus in Buenos Aires, Argentina. An Israeli police representative interviewed them and they were released, with authorities concluding they had left Israel and cut ties with their family voluntarily, apparently due to financial difficulties.

The Yalomi women, 50-year-old Mali and her 23-year-old daughter Liel, initially vanished from Vienna on August 7, 2026. They contacted relatives before the Sabbath began but stopped responding after it ended. Their family reported them missing on August 9, concerned for their safety and not ruling out a terrorist attack. The "Lahav 433" unit, Israeli police intelligence, Europol, and Interpol joined the search, with approximately 300 investigators and intelligence officers working around the clock to trace their route.

On August 14, after a week-long search, the mother and daughter were located on a bus in Argentina. Walter Kogan, an Israeli police representative in South America, met them with Argentine colleagues and Interpol. Following the interview, Mali and Liel were released, as no threat to their lives or grounds for criminal suspicion were found. Police determined their disappearance was pre-planned and linked to personal financial circumstances. The women had purchased new phones and sent videos from Vienna to relatives after departing, creating the impression they were still in Austria. They had intended to travel to another country from Argentina. Police concluded the mother and daughter had left voluntarily and were free to continue their journey.