Shin Bet Chief Meets Family of Missing Girl, Promises Expanded Investigation
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
The parents of Haimenot Kassao, missing for over 960 days, met with Shin Bet Director David Zini, who pledged to expand the agency's investigation pending the Attorney General's approval. Despite previous statements of Shin Bet involvement by President Herzog, concrete progress remains elusive for the family. A recent search operation in northern Israel, which included efforts to find Haimenot, yielded no significant developments. The family continues to await answers and tangible progress in the ongoing investigation.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Shin Bet Director David Zini met with the parents of missing Haimenot Kassao, promising an expanded investigation.
- Haimenot Kassao has been missing for over 960 days, with no significant breakthroughs reported.
- The Shin Bet's involvement, previously announced by President Herzog, has been limited.
- A recent search operation in northern Israel did not yield specific results regarding Haimenot.
- The family has demanded full transfer of the investigation to the Shin Bet's capabilities.
The parents of Haimenot Kassao, who has been missing for over 960 days, met with Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) Director David Zini on Wednesday. Zini informed the family that the Shin Bet's involvement in the case would be expanded, pending approval from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. For the Kassao family, this meeting represents another promise amidst a prolonged period without significant breakthroughs in the investigation into their daughter's disappearance.
Despite the time elapsed and the initial hope generated by statements about Shin Bet involvement, no substantial progress in locating Haimenot has been publicly reported. Meanwhile, a special search operation conducted by the Israel Dog Unit and the Israel Police in the Safed and Meron areas concluded yesterday. While the search focused on finding missing individuals Raphael Haddad and David Pedida, it also aimed to assist in locating others, including Haimenot Kassao and Moishi Kleinerman. The public was asked to aid in the search, but no specific developments regarding Haimenot were announced.
Last month, President Yitzhak Herzog publicly stated for the first time that the Shin Bet was involved in the investigation of Haimenot's disappearance, raising hopes for the family and the public. However, it later emerged that the agency's involvement was limited and utilized only specific tools. The investigation has yet to yield a concrete lead, and the presidential announcement has not resulted in any publicly disclosed tangible outcomes.
In light of these developments, a demand was submitted to transfer the full responsibility for Haimenot's disappearance investigation to the Shin Bet, utilizing its intelligence, operational, and technological capabilities. This demand also included a re-examination of existing investigation materials and previously explored leads, alongside the consideration of new possibilities. As time passes, concerns grow about the potential loss of evidence and the difficulty in reconstructing findings that were not collected in real-time. Haimenot, who was nine years old when she disappeared, remains missing, and her family continues to await answers and actions that will lead to tangible progress in the investigation.
Mentioned
The same event, reported separately by each outlet. Open a few to compare what different newsrooms emphasize — and what they leave out.
Left 1Centre 1Right 2
Not the same event — other stories that share this one’s people, places, or theme: background, reactions, and follow-ups.
