Mother of missing 4-year-old Yuval Kogan received her son in an emotional embrace at 16:44 Jerusalem, according to Israeli media reports. The reunion followed the child's discovery under a tree near Nitzanim, 11 km from where he disappeared.
Four-year-old Yuval Kogan was reunited with his mother Friday evening at 16:44 Jerusalem, with Israeli media broadcasting the emotional moment as the mother embraced him in what was described as a first hug. The reunion capped a day-long search that began when Yuval went missing from Ashkelon's Hof Chofit Beach on Thursday afternoon.
Yuval was found at approximately 15:54 under a tree near Nitzanim, about 11 kilometers from the beach, by civilian volunteers participating in the search. Police Commissioner Danny Levi, who had been overseeing the operation, connected the mother to Yuval via video call before the child was transported to the meeting point.
The search had mobilized hundreds of police officers, Border Police, helicopters, a Ports Authority scanning ship, and the Prison Service's 'Tzur' unit. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited the scene and met with the father, who had expressed concerns about a possible criminal element. As The Zioneer reported earlier, the father told Ben Gvir that 'there is something fishy here,' prompting the minister to say he would meet with the Shin Bet chief.
Police have said there is no initial indication of a criminal or terror-related motive. The circumstances of Yuval's disappearance remain under investigation.
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