Following 910 days of disappearance and sustained public pressure demanding high-level security intervention, President Isaac Herzog and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) officially confirmed on Tuesday that the agency is now actively assisting the Israel Police in the ongoing investigation to locate missing child Haymanut Kasau.
President Herzog hosted Haymanut’s family at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, revealing that in recent direct consultations with Shin Bet Director David Zini, he was updated that the agency has mobilized operational and intelligence capabilities following a formal request from the Israel Police. Following the President’s public remarks, the Shin Bet issued a formal statement confirming its operational involvement: “The Shin Bet is actively assisting in operations supporting the investigation into the disappearance of Haymanut Kasau. By nature, as this remains an active investigation spearheaded by the Israel Police, specific operational details and the full scope of security assistance cannot be elaborated.”
A Family’s Agony and Cry for Justice
“Haymanut is a child of the entire people of Israel, and all of Israel cares deeply for her,” Herzog told the family, stressing that the Shin Bet has stepped in “with full force” to aid search efforts, while commending the joint cooperation with police investigators. Haymanut vanished two and a half years ago from an absorption center in Safed during the height of the war. During the meeting, her father, Tesfaye Kasau, voiced profound frustration over the prolonged institutional delay: “We made every effort and met with every relevant official. We demanded Shin Bet intervention from the start. We fear there was hesitation or discrimination due to language gaps or skin color.”
Her 20-year-old sister, Yaros Kasau, delivered an emotional appeal describing the family’s protracted trauma: “We do not deserve the suffering we are going through. We know that with the Shin Bet involved, our nightmare can finally end. I am 20 years old and want to start living my life. Since 11th grade, instead of living like other girls my age, I have dealt only with searches and fighting for my sister. Haymanut is a little girl, and we don’t know what she is enduring.” Family advocate Tesfaye Bishaw emphasized that the formal entry of the Shin Bet brings renewed hope to a family that has held unwavering faith for 910 days that Haymanut remains alive, calling on the Israeli public to maintain their support until she is safely returned home.