Police Commissioner Major General Danny Levy held a special situation assessment today (Tuesday) regarding the disappearance of Hymanut Kassaou from Safed, who has been missing for two years.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Commissioner instructed to transfer the investigation to the Lahav 433 unit - the national unit for combating serious crime, both domestic and international.
Meanwhile, the police are checking if there is a connection between an attempted kidnapping of a child that took place yesterday in Be'er Sheva and the disappearance of Kassaou. In footage from the incident, an individual is seen approaching a girl's house, seemingly attempting to pull her into a vehicle. The girl managed to escape.
The child who survived the Be'er Sheva incident is a friend of Hymanut, and the person seen in the footage resides in Safed and is known to the Kassaou family. The family confirmed that they know him and his family.
The police have stated that there has been no development in the investigation, but the Commissioner has requested a "further scrutinizing eye" to assist in advancing the process.
Kassaou, who immigrated with her family from Ethiopia three years before she disappeared, was last seen on February 25, 2024, at the absorption center in Safed, where she was documented distributing election flyers. She has not been seen since.
Two weeks ago, a special discussion took place in the Knesset in the Committee on Immigration, Absorption, and Diaspora, headed by MK Gilad Kariv (Labor), in which emotional appeals were heard from the Kassou family, expressing deep frustration over the lack of findings.
The father, Tesfai Kassaou, demanded that the investigation be transferred to the Shin Bet and that his daughter be defined as kidnapped: "It’s possible that the police have done many search efforts, but in terms of results, there is no lead. The police have done everything they can, but now it is beyond their abilities. I am requesting a nationwide public awareness campaign. The public does not know my daughter."
The mother, Benchi Kassaou, said: "The family is trying to continue living, but we can’t until Hymanut is found," and the sister, Jerusalem, cried out: "Why isn't my sister being defined as kidnapped? The police are just hoping for a miracle. Transfer the case to Shin Bet."
The discussion included members of Knesset from all factions. MK Benny Gantz announced that he would approach the head of the Shin Bet to check how to assist in the search. MK Penina Tamno-Shata said: "Hymanut is a child of all of Israel. The State of Israel knows how to find enemies - but not a missing child." MK Moshe Solomon added: "The family came to Israel to live in security, and here, the tragedy occurred."
Police representative, Lt. Colonel Avi Eish, admitted: "We have failed in this mission. Many efforts were made, and a team was established to recheck and examine the investigation processes. There is a request to install 150 more cameras in the Safed area."
Over the past month, another large-scale search day was conducted in the area of her disappearance, with participation from mounted forces, K9 units, drones, and volunteers - along with members of Knesset who arrived to the field.
The Committee Chair, MK Gilad Kariv, concluded: "We will request to summon Shin Bet to the next confidential discussion. We will demand from the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption and the Jewish Agency a campaign plan to raise awareness - within seven days."