Two sisters, ages 8 and 12, have been found near Haifa after their mother failed to return them to their father—her ex-husband, who has full custody. Israeli police arrested the woman and reportedly her own mother, 70, who is also thought to be involved.
The parents, who have three children, moved to the United States from Israel about 10 years ago. After the two divorced, the father received full custody. A Pennsylvania judge allowed the mother to take her daughters to Israel provided she returned them to their father 10 days later. When she failed to do so, the father called the police.
According to Israeli media, the oldest daughter had sent a distressed message to her father, and the mother allegedly disconnected her and her daughters’ phones. The grandmother also reportedly denied knowing the whereabouts of her daughter or grandchildren.
According to some reports, there was a fear for the girls’ safety.