Tzfat’s Jewish community remains on edge as the search for 9-year-old Hymanut Kassou continues five months after her disappearance.

Following their Aliyah from Ethiopia three years ago, Kassou and her family have lived at Tzfat’s immigrant absorption center. A bright-eyed 3^rd grader at the Shevet Sofer school in nearby Hatzor Haglilit, she was eagerly building her future in her adopted homeland.

Sadly, Kassou’s promising journey was abruptly shattered on February 25, when she vanished while distributing election flyers at the center, leaving her community in shock and sparking an extensive search effort.

Over 1,000 searchers from various official and voluntary organizations have been combing the area. Local law enforcement has been conducting thorough examinations of the vicinity, including dense vegetation and vacant buildings, as well as comprehensive interviews with residents.

“We hear a lot about the hostages, but this girl has been gone for 162 days and we hear nothing. She is a daughter, sister, granddaughter to all of us, and we all need to engage in introspection for her sake,” said Knesset member Tsega Melaku.

As the Israel Police and the nonprofit Israel Dog Unit recombed a half-kilometer radius around Tzfat on Monday, questions mount about the effectiveness of the nation’s missing persons protocols. Police officials have stated that this case appears unrelated to a previous missing child incident in the region.