In response to a petition to the court by the press, a gag order was lifted on Thursday morning 22 Tammuz regarding the disappearance of Ashkelon resident 28-year-old Avraham Mengistu, a member of the Ethiopian community.

According to the official report, in September 2014 Avraham was seen crossing into Gaza. IDF soldiers in the area were unable to stop him in time. He is believed to be in Hamas custody but Hamas insists it does not know where Avraham is today.

Avraham crossed into Gaza near the Zikim coast and has since vanished. Haaretz reports that in the first days following his disappearance, security officials had information that he was being held by Hamas security forces, however it is unknown what has happened to him since. Efforts to obtain information regarding his whereabouts and condition from Hamas officials have failed.

The media in Gaza and Lebanon have recently published that there is an Israeli in Gaza.

A gag order was placed on the case which even prohibited quoting foreign media sources. Ashkelon Magistrate Court Justice Orit Hadad removed the gag order in response to a request from Haaretz and attorney Tali Leiblich, who represents the missing man’s family. The family explained that for almost 10 months the matter has been under a media blackout and Avraham remains missing.

The IDF Coordinator of Activities in the Territories stated today “On September 7, 2014 Avraham Mengistu, an Israeli citizen from Ashkelon, born in 1986, crossed the border to Gaza on his own volition. From the information available it was learned that Mengistu was held by Hamas in Gaza. Israel turned to international sources for assistance to verify his condition and to obtain his release immediately. Isreal will continue efforts to bring an end to this case and bring our citizen home.

“The security establishment is dealing with yet another case, an Israeli minority (name banned by gag order) in Gaza. We are dealing with a young man who entered Gaza a number of times”.

According to unofficial sources, the second missing person is a member of the Israeli Bedouin community.

Other unofficial reports on Mengistu include (1) that he is mentally unstable and that is why he entered Gaza; (2) that he swept into Gaza by the current of the water and did not enter voluntarily.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)