Israel makes contacts in Iraq to release kidnapped Israeli
An Iraqi political source confirmed communications between a Western diplomatic team and local parties to handle the case of the Israeli abducted in Iraq
The Emirati newspaper Erem News said on Sunday that a Western diplomatic team and local Iraqi parties are in continuous contact to find a solution to the Elizabeth Tzurkov's case, an Israeli kidnapped last year in Iraq.
"Contacts are being conducted by a team from several countries, under the protection and coordination of an international coalition, in an informal manner, with Iraqi parties participating in the political process, in an effort to revive the negotiation regarding the Israeli abduction," a source said, confirming an earlier report first broken on i24NEWS.
He added that "Tzurkov was kidnapped by local armed groups, and there is no communication between the international team and this group, except through intermediaries." Negotiations are in early stages, the source said, and nothing is known yet about the status, including whether she is still alive.
i24NEWS' Hebrew channel reported last Thursday that Israeli officials have made contacts through a third party in recent months for the release of Tsurkov.
Tzurkov arrived in Iraq as a researcher, and she was kidnapped in 2023 by the Iraqi, Iranian-backed terror organization Kata'ib Hezbollah.