Mystery Deepens: Search for Missing Mother and Daughter Expands Beyond Austria as Investigators Pursue Every Lead

Israeli authorities have yet to establish a breakthrough nearly a week after Mali and Liel Yahalomi went missing. The investigation, handled by Lahav 433's National Unit for Combating Economic Crime, is exploring multiple scenarios including terrorism, criminal involvement, or the possibility the pair disappeared voluntarily.

Detectives interviewed friends of the missing mother and daughter on Thursday and visited Bank of Jerusalem, where Mali Yahalomi is employed, to gather information about the disappearance. According to Channel 13, Austrian investigators increasingly believe the pair are no longer in Austria, a development that would require authorities to expand their search considerably beyond the country's borders.

The Yahalomi family released a video statement Thursday addressing widespread speculation and conflicting media reports. A family member stated: "My family and I are aware of the rumor mill and the conflicting reports being spread by the media in the past few hours. We wish to make clear that we are unable to comment on unverified information that does not come from the official bodies."

The family emphasized findings from Bank of Jerusalem's internal review, which found "nothing was found indicating any unusual activities with the bank's funds or assets." They called on authorities to pursue all investigative avenues without premature dismissal of any possibility, expressing hope that "the search will lead to them, and that this story will ultimately end and they will return home safely."

The Mossad has joined search efforts in Vienna. Bank of Jerusalem separately sought to reassure customers after rumors sparked concern and caused the bank's stock to decline sharply. The bank stated there is no indication that customer funds were improperly handled or stolen. CEO Yair Kaplan noted that Mali Yahalomi's employment at the bank is the only known connection to the institution.