Hungarian police hold 2 in death of Israeli tourist

Ofir Gross' family arrived in Budapest on Sunday to identify the body.

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BUDAPEST (JTA) — Hungarian police have detained two people in connection with the death of an Israeli citizen, who went missing in the country several days earlier.

Ofir Gross, 40, who traveled to Hungary for vacation from his studies in biomedical engineering in Germany, was found dead on Saturday evening. Conflicting news reports say his body was found by police in a forest or in a countryside apartment.

Gross was last seen on Thursday at a local countryside restaurant, in the small mideastern Hungarian town of Tiszakecske, a spa area famous for its hot springs, located  about 120 miles from Budapest, after which he reportedly contacted his family in Israel on his mobile phone, Hungary’s Klubradio reported. He reportedly was headed to the eastern city of Debrecen, Hungary’s second-largest city.

One of the suspects detained in the case, age 21, is from a nearby village and the second suspect, 19, is from the surrounding area.

Gross’ family arrived in Budapest on Sunday to identify the body.

Police have not issued any official comments on the alleged murder.

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