Israeli mother and daughter missing in Vienna found in Argentina

Two Israeli women who had been missing in Vienna for several days have been found in Argentina, according to media reports cited by ORF. The 50-year-old mother and her 23-year-old daughter reportedly intend to begin a new life there.

Video shared on X shows representatives of Interpol and the Israeli police approaching the women on a bus, the Times of Israel reported. The women were briefly questioned and allowed to continue their journey because there was no suspicion of a crime.

The pair had travelled to Vienna via Prague and were last seen on August 7 at a hotel in Margareten, where they had checked in. Relatives reported them missing to police on August 10 after losing contact with them.

Vienna police said on Friday that the women had left Austria independently. Media reports said security camera footage showed them leaving their accommodation with their luggage on August 8, apparently voluntarily and without anyone else accompanying them.

The women were reportedly later travelling in Argentina when officers, including representatives from Israel and Interpol, approached them. They appeared confused by the encounter but were well. Speculation about debts or fraud was not confirmed.

Their relatives in Israel expressed relief that the women had been found alive and thanked everyone involved in the search. It initially remained unclear why the pair had cut contact with their family in Vienna or travelled to Argentina without telling others.

The family became concerned on the morning of August 9 after messages to the women were not delivered. The women had reportedly not attended a planned Shabbat dinner on Friday evening or collected food ordered for Saturday from a kosher restaurant. The Israeli Embassy in Vienna also appealed for information through social media and a press release.