Investigation Probes Friends' Role in Eldar Dayan's Death in Tel Aviv

Israeli police are investigating the death of Eldar Dayan, a resident of Dimona, whose body was found near the Yarkon River in Tel Aviv. Authorities suspect that two of Dayan's friends, Maxim Barberman and Omri Peretz, abandoned him after he was severely injured in a fight and failed to seek medical help. The two men were arrested and are expected to face further detention hearings this week.

Police are reconstructing Dayan's final hours using testimonies from the suspects, security camera footage, and forensic evidence from the scene. Barberman and Peretz claim that Dayan was attacked by a group of youths and sustained serious head injuries. They said they fled to a nearby gas station where they bought him water but left the area separately after a police patrol arrived, fearing legal trouble.

Investigators question why the friends did not call emergency services despite Dayan's critical condition. No weapons were found at the scene, but two helmets were recovered and are undergoing forensic analysis to determine their connection to the incident. Police are also reviewing footage showing the three men in a nearby grove after the fight, trying to clarify what happened before Dayan's body was discovered.

The final autopsy results from the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute are pending and will determine the cause of death, which will help decide if murder charges are warranted or if other offenses related to the suspects' conduct apply. Police emphasize that even if murder is not proven, abandoning an injured person without aid is a serious offense. Dayan's funeral is scheduled for tomorrow at 5:30 PM at the cemetery in Eilat. His family invited all who knew and loved him to attend and bid farewell.