A security source told The Zioneer that there is a high probability the missing child was kidnapped and returned because of the extensive searches. The child is now safe, according to the source.
The Zioneer has learned from a security source that there is a high probability 4-year-old Yuval Kogan was kidnapped and returned to safety due to the extensive searches. The assessment, provided to The Zioneer moments after the child was found alive, marks the first official indication of a criminal motive in the case. The child is now safe, according to the source.
The day's events unfolded rapidly. Yuval went missing Friday morning from an Ashkelon beach, prompting an urgent search. At 07:55 Jerusalem, his mother appealed for help, describing him as mature and urging the public to consider unconventional search areas, as The Zioneer reported. By 16:04 Jerusalem, multiple reports confirmed that Yuval had been found alive. A volunteer discovered him by chance near Nitzanim after taking a wrong turn; initial reports placed him 5-6 km from the disappearance site, later refined to 11 km. Police Commissioner Danny Levi officially confirmed the child was found "safe and sound" in a thicket, and the mother spoke to her son for the first time since his rescue. A source later posted "Am Yisrael Chai" following the rescue.
The search effort was extensive, involving volunteers and police. The mother's earlier appeal highlighted the unusual nature of the disappearance.
The circumstances of the alleged kidnapping and the child's return remain unconfirmed. The security source's statement has not been corroborated by other officials, and no further details about the suspect or motive have been released.
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