824 Days Later: Birth of New Baby Deepens Family’s Longing for Missing Haimanot

The Kassau family welcomed a new baby girl this week, but even amid the joy of a growing family, they say the celebration has been overshadowed by the painful absence of 11-year-old Haimanot Kassau, who has been missing for more than two years.

The family announced Sunday that a baby girl had been born, becoming the youngest sibling in the household. Yet relatives said the happy occasion also served as a painful reminder that one chair at the family table remains empty.

Family members said what should have been one of the most joyous moments of their lives was also emotionally overwhelming because of Haimanot’s continued disappearance.

“This is a moment of kindness and blessing, but it comes on an unbearably difficult day,” the family said in a statement. “We are moving between opposite emotions: between the happiness of the new baby and the longing and anxiety for Haimanot. This joy only sharpens the fact that nothing is complete without her.”

Haimanot, now 11 years old, disappeared on February 25, 2024, from the absorption center in Tzfas where her family had been living after immigrating from Ethiopia. Since that day, no trace of her has been found, and her family continues to hold on to hope while pressing authorities to intensify efforts to locate her.

Just last month, the family marked 800 days since her disappearance. They say her room remains untouched, her bed is still made, and her school bag continues to wait for her at home.

Relatives said they dream of the day Haimanot will return and meet her newborn sister for the first time.

“At this time, we ask the media and the public to respect our privacy,” the family said, “but we are also using this moment to cry out once again: Do not forget Haimanot!”

The family renewed its call for the establishment of a special investigative task force dedicated to finding the missing girl and urged the public to continue supporting their efforts.

“We ask people to continue walking with us in the determined struggle to bring our beloved daughter home,” the family said.

Last Wednesday, demonstrators wearing shirts bearing Haimanot’s photograph gathered outside the offices of Lahav 433 in Lod. A separate protest was held simultaneously alongside family members at the Kiryat Motzkin Junction.

The demonstrations came one week after police representatives told a Knesset Immigration Committee hearing that there had been developments in the investigation.

Tesfai Bishao, a leading activist in an organization working to secure Haimanot’s return, sharply criticized the authorities and said: “It was a show by Lahav 433, to make it look like they are working.”

{Matzav.com}