A breakthrough in the case of a missing 9-year-old Israeli girl has given hope to her family after 6 months of desperation.

Little Hymanut Kassou vanished without a trace on February 25 near an immigration center, sending shockwaves through Tzfat’s vibrant Jewish community. Since that fateful day, a massive search effort comprising over 1,000 police officers, IDF troops, civilian volunteers, and even expert dog handling units has searched the region.

On Thursday, police were given the green light by a Nazareth Court to seize a vehicle belonging to a suspect involved in the case. The suspect had reportedly pulled up to the Absorption Center in a blue car on that day and told Kassou and her friend to get in.

“We were sitting outside the absorption center, and a light blue car pulled up,” Kassou’s friend told Channel 13 News. “The driver told us to get in. We refused. He told us, ‘Get in or I’ll take you.’ He got out of the car, wearing a big hat. He was religious with a beard and couldn’t run, so we ran.”

The car in question has been repainted and two of its wheels were replaced. Also, its rear door had been locked with external bolts, which investigators fear kept the terrified 9-year-old from escaping.