Hundreds of people gathered in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening to mark 850 days since the disappearance of 9-year-old Haimanot Kassau, whose whereabouts remain unknown after she vanished from an absorption center in Tzfat in February 2024. Her family used the event to urge authorities to intensify the investigation and mobilize all available security agencies in hopes of finally uncovering what happened.

Relatives, community activists, and family members of hostages joined the rally, calling on the government to broaden the probe, establish a dedicated investigative task force, and devote additional national resources to the case in an effort to achieve a long-awaited breakthrough.

Haimanot’s father, Tespai Kassau, addressed the crowd in Amharic through a translator, speaking emotionally about his family’s hopes when they immigrated to Israel and the anguish they have endured since their daughter disappeared.

“We came to the Land of Israel with great faith, with love, with the desire to build a home here,” he said. “We wanted our children to grow up in a country that knows how to protect its children. And today, after 850 days, I stand here and ask: Where is my Haimanot? Haimanot was kidnapped not across the border, not by our enemies, but inside the State of Israel, from the very place where she lived. The State of Israel, which knows how to reach faraway places, cannot tell us after 850 days that it has no answers.”

Haimanot’s older sister, Yeros Kassau, also spoke through tears, directing her remarks to her missing sister. She described the devastating impact the disappearance has had on the family, recalling that Haimanot was a Hebrew-speaking Israeli child who had been growing up in a loving home before she was suddenly taken away.

The rally also featured remarks from families who have personally experienced kidnappings and tragedy. Bat Sheva Yahalomi, whose son Eitan was abducted to Gaza and later freed during the first hostage exchange, said the fact that whoever was responsible for Haimanot’s disappearance remains at large should concern every Israeli.

Attorney Dror Matityahu, who represents the Kassau family and the campaign working to bring Haimanot home, criticized the handling of the investigation during its early years. He noted that the case was transferred to Lahav 433, Israel’s national major crimes unit, only about six months ago.

Matityahu said investigators continue to receive new leads and information that warrant examination, stressing that every tip should be pursued and no investigative avenue should be dismissed. He added that the passage of time has made it increasingly difficult to recover evidence and determine the truth.

The gathering concluded with a call to ensure that Haimanot’s disappearance does not fade from public attention. Her family emphasized that, for them, this is not merely an unresolved criminal investigation—it is the desperate search for a little girl whom they still hope will one day return home.

{Matzav.com}