Israeli rescue officials say that 4-year-old Yuval Kagan, who went missing near Hofit Beach on Thursday morning, has not been located, contradicting rumors on social media. The search continues.
In the latest development in the search for 4-year-old Yuval Kagan, rescue officials confirmed after midnight that contrary to unverified social media reports, the boy has not been located. The clarification came shortly after The Zioneer reported at 00:02 Jerusalem that hundreds of police, rescue teams, and volunteers were continuing the search, which has now been underway for more than 12 hours.
The search for Yuval, who was last seen near Hofit Beach in Ashkelon on Thursday morning, has evolved through several phases. At 14:03 Jerusalem on Thursday, Israeli police appealed for public assistance, and the father told investigators that he was walking with his son and two daughters when his attention was momentarily distracted; the children did not enter the water. By the same hour, media reports indicated that the Shin Bet had joined the investigation to rule out unusual scenarios. Subsequent updates from the same timeframe noted that air support, canine units, and hundreds of personnel had been mobilized.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Thursday evening, the search effort has been extensive, involving ground, sea, and air assets. The Shin Bet's involvement, initially reported as a formal request, was later confirmed by multiple Israeli news outlets as an active participation in the investigation.
What remains open is the boy's whereabouts. Despite the large-scale operation and the official denial of the rumors, no credible sighting or clue has been publicly reported. Rescue officials have not provided a timeline for the search's continuation, and the investigation remains ongoing.
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