Israel's rescue chief steps down over sexual assault claims

Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, 61, has been accused of abuse and sexual assault by six individuals, according to a report by Haaretz daily, which said it obtained evidence of the abuse going back to the 1980s and included some against teenagers and younger children.

The report added that the alleged abuse was carried out with the knowledge of others in the community, who protected him.

Meshi-Zahav, denied the allegations but stepped down from his Zaka post.

Israeli media said police opened an investigation. The statute of limitations has run out on five of the six cases described in the paper, meaning police are unable to investigate them.

However, police have launched an investigation into the sixth case, in which a woman says she was raped by Meshi-Zahav when she was in her 20s.

Zaka is a network of volunteer-based community emergency response teams in Israel.

It was founded following suicide attacks on Israeli buses, and its mainly ultra-Orthodox members were often on the scene to help casualties and recover victims' remains.

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