Over two years after his disappearance, the remains of Itamar Shlesinger were located in the Ein Hod area of the Carmel during a search conducted by international search and rescue organization MAGNUS onThursday.
His remains were found approximately 600 meters from his vehicle's last location and were transferred to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir for identification.
Shlesinger, a 33-year-old from Haifa, went missing on September 22, 2023, after being involved in a car accident in northern Israel.
Shlesinger's family hired MAGNUS in March 2024, which assumed full responsibility and coordinated with the family throughout. The investigation and search efforts were led by Ziv Demeter, the organization’s professional director.
MAGNUS included a thorough process of investigation, information gathering, analysis of existing data, interviews, and the construction of a possible movement profile for Shlesinger on the day he disappeared. The group concluded that several areas near where Shlesinger went missing had not been thoroughly searched during previous efforts.
MAGNUS, Israel Police conduct joint search for remains
In May 2024, MAGNUS and Israel Police conducted a joint search, during which three of the four areas were searched without yielding any new findings.
However, on Thursday, 2025, MAGNUS conducted an independent search of the final remaining area with experienced searchers and canine units. It was there that Shlesinger's remains were found.
"All activities were carried out in full coordination with the family and in cooperation with the official authorities, while maintaining sensitivity, responsibility, and respect for the family,” MAGNUS said in a statement.
"We would like to thank Israel Police's Coastal District, the Coastal District's Urban Search Unit, the Galil-Carmel Rescue Unit, and the Nature and Parks Authority's canine teams for the important joint work.”