Weekend Recap: Mother and daughter found safe in Argentina after week-long Vienna disappearance
By Sammy Tisser,
Israeli mother and daughter Mali and Liel Yahalomi, missing for a week after last being seen in Vienna, have been located in Argentina, Israel Police announced. Officers, including Israeli and Interpol representatives, boarded a bus and introduced themselves to the pair, who appeared confused but unharmed, according to published footage.
Before they were found, a source familiar with the investigation said it looked less likely the disappearance was tied to the pair's nationality or health, and that authorities believed they were still alive. Austrian police had earlier said the two left the country of their own volition, with Kronen Zeitung reporting they crossed into Germany before flying out of Europe, possibly to South America. A police source told Haaretz the two left Israel intending to disappear and start a new life, while other Hebrew media pointed to mounting debts back home.
A senior police officer told Ynet that even after questioning, the motive for their departure remains unclear. Neither is suspected of any crime and both were released to continue on their way. The family has demanded that security agencies keep investigating all possible scenarios. Israeli police have placed a gag order on the case, though Hebrew media continues covering it in depth.
Deadly strikes in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah drone attack wounds three IDF soldiers
Three soldiers from the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit were seriously wounded overnight after Hezbollah launched an explosive drone at troops in the Ali Taher Ridge area, within the IDF's security zone. The PMO called it a ceasefire violation in a rare English-language statement issued on Shabbat.
The IDF struck back at Hezbollah command infrastructure in Ansar and Nabatieh. The Ansar strike killed Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, a battalion commander in Hezbollah's Radwan Force, along with other operatives. According to Lebanese media, the strike also killed seven people total, including women and children, with the toll from strikes across the south reaching 11 for the day (a separate strike in Deir al-Zahrani killed four). The IDF said Hassan's family was present in the military headquarters at the time and that he had used them as human shields, insisting they weren't the intended target. Heavy strikes also hit the Ali Taher Ridge itself, where Hezbollah maintains a major underground facility.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the strikes a "clear message" on the negotiation process and condemned what he called ongoing violations of the framework deal and international law. Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem separately accused Lebanese authorities of subjecting the army to undue pressure by implementing the framework deal, and vowed an "appropriate" response to the strikes while urging Beirut to halt what he called humiliating direct talks with Israel. Hezbollah has consistently refused the talks and won't surrender its weapons.
Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, who leads Israel's negotiating team, warned Lebanon against using the incident as a pretext to delay or exit talks, saying that would hand Hezbollah a tactical win. Netanyahu spokesman Doron Spielman said the strikes should push talks forward rather than derail them, adding Israel remains committed to the US-brokered agreement under which the Lebanese army takes over as Hezbollah is removed. The next round of US-sponsored talks is set for early September in Rome; Lebanese and Israeli sides reportedly discussed in last week's Rome talks which countries might join a committee verifying the Lebanese army's deployment and Hezbollah's disarmament.
Houthis escalate attacks on Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government targets
Houthi forces claimed a drone strike on an Aramco facility in Najran, Saudi Arabia, saying it was retaliation for Saudi aircraft entering Yemeni airspace over Saada governorate. There's been no confirmation from Saudi authorities or Aramco, and it's unclear whether the facility was actually hit.
The Houthis also struck the government-held port city of Mokha, first with missiles targeting commercial ships (two vessels caught fire), and separately with six ballistic missiles that Yemeni military spokesman Col. Majed al-Nazili said killed a security guard, wounded eight, and left two marines missing. Combined tolls from the Mokha attacks reportedly reached seven dead.
The port's director said more than 25 missiles hit Mocha in recent days, forcing a suspension of commercial and maritime operations, with losses estimated at $16 million.
Strait of Hormuz tensions continue as ADNOC tanker hit a third time
A tanker operated by Abu Dhabi's ADNOC was attacked transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the third such incident in a week, according to Emirati state agency WAM. No injuries were reported. The UAE has accused Iran in past incidents but hasn't commented on responsibility this time. Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center reported a bulk carrier hit by an unknown projectile. Presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said the UAE would defend its sovereignty and freedom of navigation while continuing to prioritize diplomacy.
President Trump said he would soon declare the Strait a US territory once Iran is "defeated," without elaborating on what that would mean practically, especially given Iran's continued ability to disrupt shipping there. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded that Tehran won't be intimidated, saying the waterway will only open or close under Iran's authority.
On the diplomatic track, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said no decision has been made to resume talks with Washington, and that messages being passed through Qatari and Pakistani mediators don't amount to negotiations. He said separate talks with Oman focused on defining a sea route through Hormuz, while the US would need to meet conditions before shipping resumes. Trump told Fox News the US would hit Iran hard economically, a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would apply measures "never... seen" on Tehran as soon as next week.
Iran says three pilots held by Qatar since war
Iranian military officials say three Su-24 fighter pilots, Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian, were captured alive by Qatari forces after their jets crashed during the six-month war, and have been held for six months without contact with their families. Gen. Mohammad Bagherzadeh appealed to the Red Cross to secure their release.
Iran had previously listed the pilots as missing; last month it recovered the body of a fourth pilot killed in an attack on Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US base in the region and home to CENTCOM's forward air and special operations components.
Gaza ceasefire violations reported near Yellow Line
The IDF said a tank was struck by a Hamas explosive device during Givati Brigade operations in southern Gaza, near the Yellow Line, with no injuries reported. Separately, the IDF said Paratroopers Brigade soldiers spotted two operatives crossing the Yellow Line who approached troops in what the military called a threatening manner; soldiers opened fire and killed both.
The IDF characterized both incidents as ceasefire violations it takes seriously, signaling a response may follow.
Israeli rescue delegation deployed to earthquake-hit Colombia
An 80-member Israeli delegation, Brit Re'im, made up of IDF Home Front Command soldiers along with Foreign and Defense Ministry officials, arrived in Colombia to assist after this week's deadly earthquake. The team is distributing food and water and conducting search-and-rescue operations.
IDF Spanish-language spokesman Maj. (res.) Roni Kaplan said Israel is applying lessons from its own experience with civilians trapped under rubble from enemy missile fire to help Colombian citizens, describing the mission as working side by side with local teams.
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon & Hezbollah
Reported by Sammy Tisser for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.