An Israeli woman who crossed into Syria and had been held by the Syrian regime landed in Israel in the early hours of Thursday morning after over a week of diplomatic wrangling to secure her return.
The woman, who has not been identified, flew from Moscow and landed at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv. She spoke with her family before takeoff and was expected to be questioned by the Shin Bet internal security service, according to Hebrew media reports.
Israel released two Syrian shepherds and reduced the sentence of a Golan Heights resident on Thursday in what was widely seen as an exchange deal.
“Israel has always done and will always do everything in its power to bring its citizens home,” Netanyahu said.
The Prime Minister’s Office thanked Putin for his assistance and said Israel was releasing two Syrian shepherds who crossed into Israel as a gesture of goodwill. The move was widely seen as a prisoner swap with Syria. The statement also said Israel will shorten the sentence of Nihal Al-Maqt, an incarcerated Golan Heights resident.
The statement did not mention Dhiyab Qahmuz, another Golan Heights resident imprisoned by Israel who was part of the talks, and did not say if Al-Maqt was returning to the Israeli Golan or being deported to Syria, which had reportedly been a sticking point in negotiations.
The woman, who hasn’t been identified, is reportedly a 25-year-old from Modiin Illit who left the Charedi community. It is unclear why she entered Syria. The Kan public broadcaster said she had crossed the border around two weeks ago.
The Axios news site, citing Israeli officials, said she had studied Arabic and in the past had been prevented from crossing the southern border into Gaza.
The woman had been in Russian custody since Wednesday and met with Bloom and Ben-Shabbat during their visit to Russia on Wednesday, reports said.
She was examined by an Israeli doctor and found to be in good health.
Hebrew media reports said the woman crossed into Syria near Mount Hermon, in an area that does not have a security fence. She is believed to have gotten there through a valley that leads from the community of Majdal Shams.
The IDF went to the Israel-Syria border area to look for bargaining chips after talks started and captured the shepherds after they crossed into Israel for the purpose of a prisoner exchange, Axios reported.
Russia, which is closely allied with the Syrian regime, has regularly served as an intermediary between Jerusalem and Damascus, which do not maintain formal ties and technically remain in a state of war.
