Israeli mother Mali Yahalomi and her daughter, Liel, were found alive in Argentina on Friday night, Israel Police confirmed, one week after their disappearance in Vienna.

According to a report by the Jewish news agency in Argentina, AJN, the mother and daughter were found on an intercity bus in Buenos Aires. 

 A police source told Maariv that there had been no indication from the outset of criminal or terrorist activity. The two women had been traveling voluntarily and were surprised when they were located by the Police Intelligence Division.

According to Maariv, police briefly questioned the mother and daughter and determined that they were not in danger and that no criminal incident had occurred. With no suspicion of wrongdoing on their part and no grounds for arrest, they were subsequently released.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the trip, including why the two women traveled from Europe to Argentina and did not make contact while efforts were being made to locate them.

Israel Police said in a statement that it was grateful for the cooperation of the numerous security agencies and international bodies involved in efforts to locate the missing women, including Lahav 433, the Police Intelligence Division, and Europol.

“Under the direction of Police Commissioner Dan Levy, the police, led by Unit 433 and the Police Intelligence Division, conducted extensive operations in Israel and abroad, operating 24/7, and allocating all necessary resources to locate them, carrying out hundreds of investigative actions,” the statement said. 

Israel Police confirmed that its representatives had been operating in several countries under the direction of the police commissioner, conducting extensive investigative efforts and utilizing intelligence capabilities that ultimately led to the discovery of the missing women in Argentina.

“This intelligence and operational activity demonstrates the ability of the Israeli Police to operate anywhere in the world,” the statement said. 

Representatives of the family and Mali’s brother told N12 News that they were very happy to learn that the women had been found alive. They said questions remained, but their immediate focus was that they were alive.
 

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