Major Breakthrough Investigation: Police Probe Link Between Haymanot Kasau Disappearance and Beersheba Kidnap Attempt
The investigation into the nearly two-year disappearance of Haymanot Kasau has been transferred to an elite police unit after a suspected kidnapping attempt in Beersheba targeted one of her close friends.
The Beersheba Connection
The renewed hope for a breakthrough comes after security footage emerged from the southern city of Beersheba. The video captures a man entering a residential home, causing a young girl inside to flee while screaming in terror. Law enforcement officials are now urgently investigating whether this incident was a sophisticated kidnapping attempt.
Crucially, the girl targeted in the Beersheba incident is a close friend of Haymanot Kasau. Furthermore, reports indicate that the man seen in the security footage is a resident of Safed, the same city where Haymanot disappeared. The Kasau family confirmed they are familiar with the man and his family, providing a direct link between the two cases.
Investigation Moves to Elite Lahab 433 Unit
Following a status assessment, Police Commissioner Danny Levy made the significant decision to hand the case over to Lahav 433, Israel’s equivalent of the FBI. While some officials suggest the timing might be a coincidence, a police source stated that the Commissioner wanted a fresh pair of eyes to advance the stagnant case. "For years we have been investigating, and we have never encountered a case like this before," police officials admitted, acknowledging the unprecedented nature of the disappearance.
The Kasau family has long petitioned for the case to be handled by Lahav 433 and for Haymanot’s status to be upgraded from "missing" to "kidnapped," a move that would grant investigators broader legal tools. While police maintain they have investigated the kidnapping angle since day one, they previously lacked the evidentiary foundation to make the official change.
The Night Haymanot Vanished
Haymanot Kasau was last seen on February 25, 2024. After returning from a school trip, she participated in activities at her local absorption center in Safed. The final footage of her was recorded at 7:25 PM, showing her at the entrance of the center wearing a pink tracksuit, a black skirt, and white sneakers.
Her mother believes the disappearance was premeditated. "She was going door to door to hand out election flyers at the absorption center. It looks like her disappearance was planned," she stated. Haymanot is described as being 1.20 meters tall, with a thin build, dark hair, and dark eyes.
Her father, Tesfaye, has never stopped searching, even traveling into Judea and Samaria following various leads. While the police have dealt with numerous false tips in the past, including a debunked claim about the disposal of a body, the latest connection to the Beersheba suspect has provided the family with a newfound sense of hope for a breakthrough.