Five days after Mali and Liel Yahalomi were located safe and unharmed in Argentina, their relatives in Israel say the mother and daughter still have not contacted them, leaving the family with unanswered questions and continued concern.

“Hopefully they’ll make contact, and we’ll have answers,” one relative told Israel Hayom.

According to the report, Mali and Liel did not contact their family on Saturday, when they were located aboard an intercity bus in Argentina, and have remained out of contact during the five days since.

The latest details have only deepened questions surrounding their disappearance. Mali reportedly did not formally resign from her job at a bank before leaving, a detail that appears to support indications that the trip was planned in advance while several aspects of her life were left unresolved.

The international search for the two ended after Israeli and local authorities located them aboard a bus in Argentina. Israel Police representative in South America Lt. Col. Walter Kogan spoke with the two and confirmed that they were healthy, were not under threat or in danger, and had traveled to Argentina of their own free will.

Because both women are adults, are not suspected of any crime and are not wanted by authorities, law enforcement’s role effectively ended once investigators determined they were safe and had disappeared voluntarily.

Under those circumstances, authorities cannot force them to return home or maintain contact with relatives.

The unusual case has also drawn significant attention in Argentina, where media outlets have raised questions about how far police should go in using investigative resources to locate adults who intentionally choose to disappear.

South American reports have meanwhile suggested that Argentina may not have been the pair’s final destination. The two were reportedly considering traveling onward to countries including Paraguay, Chile and Ecuador, possibly with the intention of beginning a new chapter in their lives.

There has been no confirmed indication, however, that they have entered any of those countries.

Police officials have also reportedly said Mali did not have outstanding financial debts and that she withdrew compensation funds more than a year ago, which were used to finance the trip.

For law enforcement, the case was essentially closed once authorities confirmed that Mali and Liel were alive and safe.

For their family in Israel, however, the mystery remains.

Relatives say they are still waiting and hoping for even a brief call that could finally provide some answers.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)