Friends of Eldar Dayan Cooperate with Police in Murder Investigation

Maksim Barberman and Omri Peretz, friends of the late Eldar Dayan, have handed over their mobile phones to the police as part of the ongoing investigation into Dayan's murder, which has been active for about two weeks. Both men strongly deny involvement in the killing and claim they fled the scene of a fight together with Dayan, fearing they had accidentally hit a member of a rival group with a vehicle. Upon reaching a Paz gas station at the Yarkon Junction in Petah Tikva, they attempted to hide the car to avoid police detection, as it bore damage from the incident.

The two assert that after hiding in an open area, the three decided to return to Dimona. They tried to contact Dayan, and when he did not respond, they assumed he was still in hiding and would join them later. Barberman was interrogated for the sixth time yesterday after being transferred from a detention center in Jerusalem to the Sharon District Police headquarters, separated from Peretz following their joint arrest 15 days earlier.

While Barberman led investigators to the mobile phone he had hidden outdoors, Peretz ensured the police would find the phone concealed at his home. Following advice from their lawyers, Koral Siboni for Barberman and Chen Baruch for Peretz, both suspects chose to fully cooperate with the police by surrendering their phones to demonstrate their innocence and transparency.

The Sharon District Central Unit will now examine the phones and continue investigative efforts alongside awaiting the final report from the forensic institute. This investigation aims to clarify the unusual circumstances surrounding Dayan's death.