The family of a seven-year-old boy who was kidnapped outside his home on Tuesday have reached a deal with his captors for his return, according to a television report on Wednesday.
As stated by Channel 10, Karim Jumhour is healthy and unharmed, though police still do not know where he is being kept. The TV report cited Arab sources saying the boy would be set free in the coming hours.
This development followed an earlier ransom demand made by the kidnappers.
โThey asked me for NIS 4 million ($1,090,000) but I donโt want to pay,โ Jumhourโs father told the Ynet news website. โIโm waiting for the boy to return home safe and sound.โ
ืืืืืคื ืืงืื ืกืืื | ืืจืื ื'ืืืืืจ ืืื ืืืื ืื ื-7 ืฉื ืืืฃ ืืืืชื @samiaah10 pic.twitter.com/TjZqRJvbqM
โ ืืืฉืืช ืขืฉืจ (@news10) July 11, 2018
As stated by Hadashot news, the kidnapping is believed to have been carried out by a crime family over unpaid debts. Other Hebrew media reports said it revolved around a financial fight among the boyโs relatives.
Jumhour was snatched from outside his home in Qalansawe, an Arab city in central Israel.
ืืืื ืืจ ืขืืฆืจ ืืืื ืื 7 ืืคืชื ืืืชื. ื ืื ืืืืื ืขื ืฉืืื ืชืืืื. ืืืื ืื ืืืก. ืจืืฆื ืืขืืืจ. ืืืชืื ืฉื ืืืช โ ืืื ื ืืืฃ ืื ืขืื.ืืื ืชืืืื, ืื ืงืืจื ืืืืื ืืช ืืืจืืช, ืื ืืฆืื ื. ืืื ืื ืงืจื ืืืฉ ืืื, ืื ืจืืืง ืืืืืช ืฉืืืhttps://goo.gl/jbZHhPืื ืจืื ืืช ืืจืื ืืงืื?
Posted by โืืืืขืืช ืืืจืื ืืช Yedioth Ahronothโ on Wednesday, 11 July 2018
Dramatic video footage of the incident shows a white car pulling up outside the Jumhour home and asking two young boys a question. As they answer, a masked man jumps out of one of the rear doors and pushes Jumhour into the car. The assailant tries to grab the other child, who runs out of armsโ reach. The vehicle then flees the scene.
โMy wife and the whole family are still in shock,โ the boyโs father said. โWe cannot comprehend what happened. It is good that they didnโt kidnap another child.โ
Qalansaweโs mayor, Abdel-Basit Salameh, described the incident as โshocking.โ
โIt is impossible to let something like this pass quietly,โ he said. โAt this stage we have no details on the condition of the boy. We are waiting to hear good news. The most important thing is that the boy is returned.โ
Salameh said police have been searching nonstop for the boy and his kidnappers since he was taken.
On Tuesday night, checkpoints were set up near Baqa al-Gharbiya and Umm al-Fahm in the Haifa district.
A large number of police forces and a helicopter were involved in the manhunt.