One month after he went missing, specialists in France confirmed Saturday morning that a body found Wednesday in the River Seine was that of Israeli diplomat David Dahan, French police officials said.
“The DNA test which was carried out to remove all doubts, led to the final identification of Dahan,” the official said.
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| Body found in France could be that of missing defense official / Reuters |
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Body which appears to be that of a missing Israeli military attaché has been found in a river in northern France |
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“No suspicious signs were discovered on the body,” the official added, strengthening assessments that there was no foul play involved in Dahan’s death.
French police informed the Israeli Defense Ministry of the test results and said they would continue investigating the circumstances of Dahan’s death. The Defense Ministry thanked the French police for their committed efforts in finding Dahan. The ministry also informed the family.
Dahan, 54, was last seen on the night between the 21st and 22nd of January, leaving his Paris apartment. Three days later, his abandoned car was found near Rouen, west of Paris. Dahan was serving as the interim head of the Defense Ministry Mission to Europe and was one of Israel’s senior representatives in France.
Israel’s inquiry into his whereabouts was directed in cooperation with the French police.
Dahan’s disappearance was discovered when his family failed to make contact with him. He apparently had held a frenzied conversation with a family member, after which he disconnected his phone. A few hours later, it became evident that the tracking device in his car was also disconnected.
Officials said a letter was found in his Paris apartment which was linked to his disappearance.
Dahan, who had replaced his predecesor only in June, was living in France alone while his wife and child remained in Israel. Various sources said he had suffered from depression in the past, following his wife's petition for divorce.
Hanan Greenberg contributed to the report
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