Israel and Syria exchanged prisoners with Russia’s mediation

The governments of Israel and Syria conducted a prisoner swap on Thursday, mediated by Russia, after an Israeli woman was detained in Syrian territory after crossing the common border.

“When passing through Quneitra, our troops returned two shepherds to the representatives of the Red Cross, in accordance with a directive from the Israeli government”, the IDF said via its Twitter account.

In their message, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stressed that “The suspects were arrested as part of ongoing efforts to protect Israeli sovereignty over the Alpha Line”.

The Syrian State News Agency, YOU, confirmed the arrival in the country of the two men, identified as Muhamad Ahmad Hussein y Tariq Qasab al Obeidan, and added that Nihal al Maqt, also detained in Israel, was released Wednesday “as part of the same operation”.

For her part, the Israeli woman, who has not been identified, arrived at Ben-Gurion airport on a flight from Moscow. The office of the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, I affirm that crossed the border into Syria and was detained there, without giving more details about what happened.

“A few days ago, a young Israeli woman crossed the Syrian border. I spoke twice with my friend, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. I asked him to help him on his return and he acted “, he said, adding that “Israel has always done and will always do everything possible to bring its citizens home”, according to the newspaper The Times of Israel.

“I am using my personal contacts with President Putin to resolve the issue”Netanyahu said.

Russia, an ally of the government of the Syrian President, Bashar al Assad, had interceded in the past in negotiations of this type between Syria and Israel, since these countries do not have diplomatic relations.

Israel and Syria, technically at war, are separated by a de facto border at the height of the Golan Heights, which Israel has partially occupied since the end of the Six Day War in 1967.

(With information from Europa Press and AFP)

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