Israeli Police Take Over Investigation Into Disappearance of Two Israeli Women in Austria

The investigation into the disappearance of two Israeli women, Mally and Liel Yahalomi, has been transferred from Austrian police to the Israeli Police's Lahav 433 unit. The handover occurred overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, with Lahav 433's Economic Crimes Unit leading the inquiry due to their expertise and strong international connections.

A police source addressed the family's recent statement denying claims that the women withdrew a large sum of money before leaving Israel. The police clarified that they have no evidence supporting such a withdrawal and did not instruct the media to report on it.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the consulate in Vienna announced two days ago that contact was lost with Mally Yahalomi, aged 50, and her daughter Liel Yahalomi, aged 23, who have been missing since the previous Friday. The last known sighting of the two was near the Naschmarkt area in Vienna, Austria's capital. The family has provided detailed testimony to investigators to help reconstruct their movements since their disappearance. A gag order has been imposed on the case to prevent public disclosure of investigation details.