Decomposed Body Found Near Petah Tikva in Search for Missing Eldar Dayan

A decomposed body was discovered Thursday morning near the Yarkon interchange in the Petah Tikva area during police searches for Eldar Dayan, a 23-year-old missing from Dimona. The body was transferred to the forensic institute for identification and investigation into the cause of death. Dayan's family criticized the police for informing them of the discovery through media rather than directly, with his mother arriving at the scene and pleading with officers to take her to her son.

The body was found about 200 meters from a gas station where an abandoned car with a smashed windshield was located last month. The car belonged to the mother of one of the suspects linked to the case. Police have not officially confirmed the identity of the body but noted the investigation into Dayan's disappearance was recently transferred to the Sharon Central Unit in the Central District. The search involved Petah Tikva police, Border Police fighters, and volunteers.

Dayan disappeared around three weeks ago after going out with friends on July 16. He last communicated with his sister and girlfriend, mentioning some trouble before losing contact. His phone has been unreachable since. Recently, the abandoned car with blood stains was found, raising suspicions of a hit-and-run incident. Two of Dayan's friends, Omri Peretz and Maxim Barberman, were arrested; their testimonies about the events differ. Police are exploring all leads, including possible hit-and-run and hospitalizations in central Israel and Tel Aviv, emphasizing this is not a typical missing person case.