Israeli media: Indirect talks between Tel Aviv and Baghdad to secure release of kidnapped Tsurkov

Shafaq News / Israel has initiated indirect talks with Iraq through mediators in an effort to secure the release of Israeli citizen Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was kidnapped in Baghdad in 2023, the Times of Israel newspaper revealed on Thursday.

According to the report, Tsurkov's family members met yesterday with the Israeli government official responsible for hostage affairs, Gal Hirsch, as well as with foreign coordinators who are currently visiting Israel regarding the case.

Citing unnamed sources familiar with the details, the report stated that the aim is to advance indirect discussions with Baghdad to secure Tsurkov's release. It also pointed out that this is the "first public indication of Israel's efforts to free Tsurkov through intermediaries."

A senior diplomatic official, who requested anonymity, was quoted as saying that he hopes the recent regional developments, including the decision by Iran-backed Iraqi militias to cease attacks on Israel, "will create an opportunity to bring Elizabeth (Tsurkov) home."

Iraqi media affiliated with Shiite militant groups had released a video of Tsurkov in 2023, in which she claimed to be working for both the Israeli Mossad and US intelligence agencies in Iraq and Syria. In the video, she stated that her activities in Iraq focused on "stirring discord by organizing protests to incite a Shiite-Shiite conflict."

The Associated Press had reported that Tsurkov, entered Iraq under her Russian nationality as part of an academic mission from Princeton University, with her research focusing on the Middle East, particularly Iraq and Syria. She disappeared in Baghdad while conducting her research, and the Israeli government accused Hezbollah Brigades of being behind her abduction.