Israel Police on Wednesday morning reported that Ashgara Mengistu, the missing brother of Hamas captivity survivor Avera (Avraham) Mengistu, was found safe.
Mengistu was found three days after he left his mother's home in Ma'aleh Adumim. Since then, contact with him was lost.
On Tuesday night, the police issued a statement about his disappearance and requested the public's assistance in searching for him. Mengistu was last seen on Sunday morning when he left his mother's house.
His mother told Channel 12 News, “He arrived from Eilat three weeks ago, and this past week, he came to visit me. I noticed he wasn’t doing well, a bit withdrawn. I asked him if something had happened, if someone had done something to him, but he said no. On Sunday, I stepped out of the house for a moment, and when I returned, I couldn’t open the gate. I don’t know what’s going on or why this is happening to me. How is it that both my children lived in Eilat and came back different? I pray to God to help me."
Ashgara Mengistu’s brother, Avera, was captured by Hamas in September 2014 after crossing the border fence into Gaza. He was held captive for nearly a decade and was released in February 2025 as part of the hostage deal.