Senior Israeli Police Officer Details Global Operation to Locate Missing Yahelomi Sisters

Tali Bankin, head of the Interpol unit at the Israeli Police, revealed new information about the international operation to find the missing Yahelomi sisters, Mali and Liel. Speaking on Kol Barama radio on Sunday, Bankin described the investigation as a "worldwide operation." Initially, authorities suspected a kidnapping, but as the inquiry progressed, they concluded it was a premeditated disappearance.

Bankin explained that a gag order was issued to withhold sensitive details and to prevent misinformation from escalating tensions in Israel. She disclosed that several days before the announcement, intelligence indicated the sisters were in South America, prompting Europol representatives to travel there and coordinate with European police forces. Once the sisters moved to South America, Israeli forces concentrated their efforts in the region, eventually locating them in Argentina.

The police ensured the sisters' well-being and confirmed they traveled to South America voluntarily, as they wished to disappear. Bankin declined to reveal the personal reasons behind their decision and stated that contact with the sisters ended after confirming their status. She also noted that the Israeli government spent a significant amount of money on the search operation.