Police Commissioner Danny Levi confirmed Friday that 4-year-old Yuval Kogan, who went missing from an Ashkelon beach earlier in the day, was found alive and well in a thicket about 11 km from where he disappeared. The child was located by search teams, and a moment of declaration was captured on the beach, according to N12.
At 16:15 Jerusalem, Police Commissioner Danny Levi confirmed that 4-year-old Yuval Kogan, who went missing from an Ashkelon beach earlier Friday morning, was found alive and well in a thicket approximately 11 km from the disappearance site. The confirmation capped a day of intensive search efforts that had drawn national attention, with reports of the child's discovery first emerging around 16:04 Jerusalem.
Earlier reports at 16:04 Jerusalem, rapidly published by multiple Israeli news outlets, initially indicated only that the child had been located alive. Further details soon followed: Channel 12 (N12) reported that the boy was found in the Nitzanim area, roughly 7 km from where he disappeared. A volunteer who had taken a wrong turn discovered the child, according to Israeli media. Additional reports refined the location to a thicket under a tree, with distances cited as 5–6 km and later 11 km. The police commissioner's official statement at 16:15 confirmed the successful conclusion of the search.
As The Zioneer reported earlier, the search operation mobilized police, Border Police, volunteers, and advanced scanning equipment deployed by sea, air, and land. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was involved in the response, and the child's father had expressed concerns to the minister about the circumstances. Opposition leader Yair Lapid also commented on the search effort.
The child is reported to be in good health and has been reunited with his family. No further details on how he reached the thicket have been released.
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