By 5 Towns Central Staff

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Aug. 15, 2026) — An intensive international search effort concluded successfully after an Israeli mother and daughter who vanished during a trip to Europe were found safe and unharmed traveling on an intercity passenger coach in South America.

Fifty-year-old Mali Yahalomi and her twenty-three-year-old daughter, Liel, had been out of contact with relatives since early August after last checking in from Austria. Their sudden silence triggered immediate alarm, prompting an extensive cross-border inquiry involving law enforcement agencies, international coordination units, and dedicated search teams.

Investigators determined that the pair had orchestrated an elaborate route across multiple European transit hubs before boarding an overseas flight to South America. To obscure their trail, they discarded their primary communication devices in favor of new phones, timed their personal video updates to create false impressions about their physical whereabouts, and used public transit to reach their final destination.

Authorities ultimately intercepted the two women aboard a long-distance bus in the metropolitan region of the Argentine capital. Upon confirming their identities and physical well-being, law enforcement representatives conducted initial interviews to ensure they were not under duress or facing external threats. Officials confirmed that the pair departed entirely of their own volition, were safe from harm, and faced no criminal charges or legal restrictions, bringing an end to the widespread international investigation.