Hundreds of people marched and rallied in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening to mark 850 days since the disappearance of Heimanot Kasau, who vanished in February 2024 from an absorption center in Safed when she was 9 years old. Her family, social activists and relatives of hostages called on the state to widen the investigation, create a special task force and bring in all security agencies to break the case open.
Heimanot’s father, Tesfai Kasau, spoke in Amharic, with his remarks translated for the crowd. He said the family came to Israel “out of great faith, out of love, out of a desire to build a home here,” adding, “We wanted our children to grow up in a country that knows how to protect its children. And today, after 850 days, I am standing here and asking: Where is my Heimanot?” He added that she was taken “not across the border, not by our enemies, inside the State of Israel, from the place where she lived,” and said Israel “cannot tell us after 850 days that there is no answer.”
Her older sister, Yaros Kasau, cried as she addressed Heimanot directly and described the family’s pain since the disappearance. She said Heimanot was an Israeli girl who spoke Hebrew and grew up in a happy family until someone took her away. During the rally, families affected by kidnapping and loss also voiced support.
Batsheva Yahalomi, whose son Eitan was abducted to Gaza and later freed in the first deal, said the fact that whoever is responsible for Heimanot’s disappearance is still free should concern the entire public. Attorney Dror Matityahu, who represents the Kasau family and the Heimanot campaign, criticized the handling of the case in its early years and said it was transferred to Lahav 433 only about six months ago. He said new leads and reports are still coming in and every clue must be checked, because time has hurt the chances of finding evidence and reaching the truth. The event ended with a plea to keep Heimanot’s disappearance in the public spotlight, with the family stressing that for them this is not just a case file, but a child waiting to be brought home.
