Israeli Police Optimistic About Finding Missing Mother and Daughter After Weeklong Search

After a week of searching for Mally and Liel Yehalomi, Israeli police report an optimistic development based on new indications about their whereabouts. Senior officials are currently discussing how to proceed following these promising leads. For the past week, the Israel Police had no clues regarding the disappearance of the mother and daughter, exploring all possibilities including accidents, criminal suspicions, and voluntary disappearance. Reports from Austria indicated the two are no longer in the country, complicating and expanding the search area.

The investigation is led by the National Unit for Combating Economic Crime in Lahav 433, which yesterday collected testimonies from the women’s acquaintances. Authorities also gathered information at Bank Jerusalem, where Mally Yehalomi works, to better understand their circumstances. Contrary to rumors, investigators have found no indication of criminal activity involving the two. The police imposed a gag order on the investigation yesterday, as the women have been missing since Friday.

During the night, family members provided statements to Lahav 433 investigators and later criticized police spokespersons for releasing information that created a public impression of a settled conclusion about the disappearance’s circumstances, which the family disputes.