Vienna Case: Israelis May Have Left Willingly

Beyond the digital erasure, investigators are examining another significant lead: the two women may have withdrawn a substantial amount of cash in Israel before their disappearance. This strengthens the assessment that their departure was planned in advance rather than the result of a sudden event or coercion.

The new findings align with an official statement from Vienna police, who said there is currently no indication that a criminal offense occurred. A police spokesperson clarified that investigators have not identified signs of abduction or a security incident, as reported in the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung.

According to reports, authorities have opened comprehensive inquiries including continuous checks with area hospitals, in close coordination with the Israeli diplomatic mission and consulate. Intelligence findings indicated that the two women, who are Shabbat-observant, were last seen on Saturday near Vienna's main train station—a busy area that includes an adjacent public park.

Despite the dramatic findings, police continue operating around-the-clock command centers in Israel and abroad. Israel Police Commissioner Superintendent Danny Levy convened a special comprehensive situation assessment focused entirely on the intensive efforts to locate the two women.

The special meeting included very senior members of the police command staff, among them the head of the Investigations and Intelligence Division, the head of the Intelligence Unit, Israeli police representatives operating abroad, and members of the intelligence command center operating in the country where the disappearance occurred. At the conclusion of the assessment, the commissioner ordered that all necessary resources and means be allocated, without limitation, to advance the investigation and search efforts.

Meanwhile, additional representatives from law enforcement agencies are making their way to Vienna to reinforce teams on the ground, assist in the investigation, and help solve the mystery. The two women spoke with relatives on Friday before Shabbat began and reported that everything was fine, but have not been heard from since. The Vienna apartment where they were staying was found completely empty, and they did not appear for their scheduled return flight to Israel.