Elizabeth Tsurkov, the Israeli-Russian academic held hostage in Iraq for more than two and a half years, has returned to Israel after being freed this week in a complex international operation. The 38-year-old researcher landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday night, following a short stay in Cyprus that played a critical role in her safe transfer. She was immediately brought by ambulance to Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan for medical assessments and recovery, in a process modeled on the care given to hostages freed from Gaza.
According to a report in The Times of Israel, Tsurkov was captured in March 2023 in Baghdad by Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful pro-Iran militia backed by Tehran. She had been in Iraq to conduct academic research as part of her doctoral studies at Princeton University. For more than two years, her family's only glimpse of her came in a short propaganda video released by her captors in late 2023.
Her sudden release was announced Tuesday, when she was handed over to the U.S. embassy in Baghdad before being flown to Cyprus and on to Israel. Mossad chief David Barnea expressed public gratitude to Cyprus, highlighting the nation's vital role as a secure gateway for sensitive operations. "The cooperation between the two states proves itself once again," he said, underlining the deepening intelligence and diplomatic coordination between Jerusalem and Nicosia.
Details surrounding the terms of her release remain murky and politically charged. According to the Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat, Tsurkov's freedom came in exchange for the release of the son of a senior figure in Iraq's militia scene — a man recently accused of involvement in a violent attack on Baghdad's Agriculture Ministry. The report noted that no ransom was paid, but pressure from the United States, including explicit warnings to Kataib Hezbollah, played a decisive role in breaking the deadlock.
Other media outlets reported negotiations may have also touched on the eventual fate of Hezbollah operatives captured in Lebanon by Israeli commandos in late 2024. However, these claims remain unverified, and officials have declined to comment on any potential prisoner exchanges beyond the confirmed Iraqi release.
News of Tsurkov's homecoming brought overwhelming relief to her family, who endured more than 900 days of anguish. Her mother Irina, speaking through tears to Army Radio, said: "I'm going crazy. It's crazy joy, happiness. I've waited for this moment for almost two and a half years." She added a universal appeal: "I hope all the families of our hostages get the same news, and that all the hostages are released soon."
While her exact conditions in captivity are not yet known, former U.S. President Donald Trump, who took credit for leveraging pressure on Tehran and Baghdad, claimed Tsurkov had been tortured for months. An American official told Israel's Channel 12 that even the U.S. embassy in Baghdad appeared surprised by the sudden handover, receiving a call from Iraqi security services asking if they could "bring Elizabeth" within the hour.
For now, Tsurkov remains under careful observation at Sheba Medical Center, where doctors are giving equal attention to her physical and psychological recovery. Families of other hostages, still waiting for word from Gaza and beyond, will be watching her story closely. Both as a source of renewed hope and as evidence of the quiet but critical international partnerships, like those between Israel and Cyprus, that can turn the tide in even the most desperate cases.
Photo: Times of Israel