Missing Israelis Mali and Lial Yahalomi Reportedly Returning to Israel

Earlier on Wednesday, reports circulated that the mother and daughter had been arrested in Namibia for carrying forged Israeli passports. However, Rabbi Yosef Rahimi, a Chabad emissary in Namibia, visited the police station and discovered that the detainees were actually an Iranian mother and daughter, aged 14 and around 40, who spoke no Hebrew and held forged Israeli passports. The Israeli police subsequently confirmed that the arrested individuals were not the Yahalomis.

Mali, 50, and Liel, 23, from Modi'in, first went missing in Europe in August after failing to return from a trip. After a week-long search, they were located in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where an Israeli police representative confirmed they were safe and acting of their own free will. Reports later indicated that Mali's decision to leave Israel was influenced by financial difficulties and heavy debts.