Cable car crash survivor to be handed to Italy by Dec. 12 as final appeal rejected

Rejecting a final appeal on the matter, the Supreme Court rules that Eitan Biran, the six-year-old boy who was orphaned in a cable car crash in Italy, must be returned to his paternal family in Italy by December 12.

Biran has been part of a custody fight between his Italy-based paternal family and his Israel-based maternal family.

After an Italian court temporarily granted the paternal family custody during the court case, Biran’s maternal grandfather Shmuel Peleg secretly whisked him to Israel via Switzerland, prompting claims of kidnapping.

Israel’s top court has previously said Biran should be returned to Italy, but delayed the implementation of that ruling to discuss Peleg’s appeal. Now, it has rejected the appeal and set a deadline two weeks from today.