Nearly two years after her abduction in Baghdad, a proposal for a deal is being formulated for the release of kidnapped Israeli national Elizabeth Tsurkov.
Sources in Baghdad and Beirut told the British news site Amwaj that Tsurkov’s captors, members of the pro-Iranian militia Kata’ib Hezbollah, have expressed a willingness to release her in exchange for seven Hezbollah operatives captured by Israel, along with Captain Imad Amahz — a senior Hezbollah operative arrested during a Shayetet 13 raid in northern Lebanon.
According to the report, Israel has not yet approved the proposal.
Elizabeth Tsurkov’s Abduction
Tsurkov is a 36-year-old Israeli-Russian citizen, abducted in March of 2023 while in Baghdad as part of her doctoral studies at Princeton University. Last week, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein announced that she is alive and that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani is working to secure her release.
In response, her sister Emma Tsurkov said that the Iraqi foreign minister’s statement strengthens her faith: “We know that Elizabeth is alive. I am following the efforts to release the hostages in Gaza and hope that our nightmare will also end soon.”
Her family waits anxiously, holding onto hope that after nearly two years in captivity, Elizabeth Tsurkov will finally return home.
