The Magistrate’s Court on Thursday issued a full gag order on all details surrounding the investigation into the disappearance of Mali and Liel Yaalomi in the Austrian capital, following a petition by the YALAK unit within Lahav 433. Overnight, primary oversight of the case was transferred to the special unit due to the circumstances of the disappearance;
family members have already provided detailed testimony to investigators to help reconstruct the women’s route since last Friday.
Despite mounting fears, Vienna Police informed Channel 14 yesterday that, at this stage, there is no indication of third-party criminal involvement, and cellular location signals for the two were pinpointed on Saturday within the city. Mali, 50, and her daughter Liel, 23, were last seen in the area of the central Naschmarkt in Vienna, where all trace of them was lost. The mother and daughter were ticketed for an El Al flight scheduled to fly from Prague to Tel Aviv, but despite hopes, they failed to board the flight and have made no credit card transactions since vanishing. Our Europe correspondent, Nati Langermann, reported that contrary to early rumors, the two did not visit the local Chabad House, did not register for prayers at city synagogues, and did not order Shabbat meals at any local kosher restaurants.
Parallel to the investigative efforts by Lahav 433, the Israeli Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continue to coordinate closely with local enforcement authorities in Austria.
Meanwhile, members of the local Jewish community launched an extensive search effort to trace their whereabouts.
However, senior figures within the Jewish community present an assessment differing from initial fears.
According to community officials, there is currently no indication that the two were targeted because they are Israeli or Jewish, and the possibility remains that they chose to temporarily disconnect on their own accord—an assessment aligning with local Vienna police estimates.
Search efforts continue under the active gag order