Body of missing rabbi Zvi Kogan found in UAE, Israel says

The body of a rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found, the Israeli government has said.

Zvi Kogan, an envoy of the Orthodox Jewish organisation Chabad, had been missing since Thursday, the Israeli prime minister’s office said, sparking a investigation from Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and UAE authorities.

“The murder of Zvi Kogan is a criminal anti-Semitic terrorist incident. The State of Israel will act in all of its abilities to bring to justice the criminals responsible for his death,” the PM’s office said in a statement.

Israeli officials have been in contact with the family of Mr Kogan, an Israeli-Moldovan national, since he went missing, the statement continued.

The UAE’s state news agency said the interior ministry had been searching for the missing man and investigating his disappearance.

Abu Dhabi established formal ties with Israel under an agreement brokered by the US in, known as the the Abraham Accords.

It has maintained the relationship during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The Israeli government’s travel advisory service warns citizens to only travel to the UAE for “essential reasons”, as they say there is “terrorist activity” in the UAE, which constitutes “a real risk to Israelis who are staying/visiting in the country”.

Chabad UAE did not immediately respond to the BBC’s request for comment.