Iraq says Israel ready to free Hezbollah captives as part of Tsurkov deal
by Naharnet Newsdesk 29 May 2025, 12:54
An Iraqi official speaking on condition of anonymity has told The Associated Press that the U.S. and Israel are not opposed to the release of Lebanese prisoners held in Israel as part of a deal for the release of Russian-Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who is held in Iraq by the Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah group.
The 38-year-old Middle East researcher was kidnapped in 2023 while doing research in Iraq, and officials from several countries say progress is being made to secure her release.
Tsurkov marks 800 days in captivity on Thursday.
There were reports over the weekend that negotiators were very close to a deal, but the terms are complicated and Tsurkov's sister said no deal appears imminent.
Negotiators are focusing on an exchange that would include seven Lebanese captured during the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah. But Iraqi and Lebanese officials told The Associated Press the talks recently stalled over Iran's demand for the release of one of its citizens detained in Iraq for the killing of an American.
Elizabeth Tsurkov disappeared in Baghdad in March 2023 while doing research for her doctorate at Princeton University. The only direct sign of life her family has received is a November 2023 video of her broadcast on an Iraqi television station and circulated on pro-Iranian social media.
In the past few months, officials from several countries, including the Iraqi foreign minister and deputy prime minister, have confirmed she is alive and being held in Iraq by a Shiite Muslim militant group called Kataeb Hezbollah, according to her sister.
The group has not claimed the kidnapping nor have Iraqi officials publicly said which group is responsible.
Moving pieces from Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Israel, and the U.S.,
Emma Tsurkov, who lives in California, believes the U.S., Israel's closest ally, has the most leverage to pressure the Iraqi government for her sister's release – either by withholding arms or financial assistance. Israel, which does not negotiate directly with Iraq because the two countries have no formal relations, has less influence, she said.
Although Tsurkov entered Iraq using her Russian passport, Russia has declined to get involved in negotiating for her release, Emma Tsurkov said.
Earlier this year, a senior Israeli official said the Israeli government is working with allies in a renewed push to win the freedom of Tsurkov. Israeli officials declined to comment for this AP story.
About a month ago, a U.S. official and several former diplomats visited Baghdad to mediate for Tsurkov's release, according to a senior Iraqi political official involved in the negotiations. They held indirect talks with Iranian officials and leaders from the militant group holding her, according to this official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the secretive talks.
Adam Boehler, the Trump administration's top hostage envoy, has repeatedly called for Tsurkov's release and has traveled to Iraq to press his case. "We have and will continue to underscore with the Iraqi government the urgency of securing her release," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Tuesday.
An official with a Lebanese group involved in the indirect negotiations said that, in exchange for Tsurkov's freedom, they are seeking the release of seven Lebanese prisoners, some of whom are associated with Hezbollah and a Lebanese navy officer who was kidnapped by an Israeli commando force on Lebanon's northern coast in early November. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Also involved in a possible exchange are five men in prison in Iraq for the 2022 fatal shooting of Stephen Edward Troell, a 45-year-old teacher from Tennessee. Troell was killed as he pulled up to the street where he lived in central Baghdad with his family.
Iranian citizen Mohammed Ali Ridha was convicted in the killing, along with four Iraqis, in what was described as a kidnapping gone wrong. The prospect of Ridha's release is one of the major holdups in the negotiations, Lebanese and Iraqi officials said.
Elizabeth Tsurkov is a well-known academic who was often interviewed in the media, and her research was focused on sectarianism in the Middle East, specifically Iraq.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nahar Net
9 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Israel accuses France's Macron of 'crusade against the Jewish state'
by Naharnet Newsdesk 6 hours Israel accused French President Emmanuel Macron of undertaking a "crusade against the Jewish state" on Friday after he called for European countries to harden their stance on Israel if the humanitarian situation in Gaza did not improve. "There is no humanitarian blockade. That is a blatant lie," Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement, defending its efforts to allow in aid. "But instead of applying pressure on the jihadist terrorists, Macron wants to reward them with a Palestinian state. No doubt its national day will be October 7."
Nahar Net
9 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Berri urges govt. to prioritize reconstruction, says 'will escalate if Salam escalates'
by Naharnet Newsdesk 7 hours Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri seems to support ally Hezbollah in its cold war with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Salam, who vowed the state's monopoly on arms since his appointment, recently escalated his rhetoric saying that the era of "exporting the Iranian revolution has ended" and that the state "will not remain silent over any arms outside the state's control". "The region has grown tired of Iranian-U.S. polarization," he said. Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad responded criticizing Salam for recently omitting the word "Resistance" from the "Resistance and Liberation Day" holiday in one of his statements, but said he would not say more "to preserve what's left of cordiality." Berri seemed to take Hezbollah's side, telling local al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Friday, that "if Salam escalates, we will escalate and if he chooses to calm things down, we will calm them down." Berri went on to say that it is the government's responsibility to prioritize the construction of war-hit regions, "whether it likes it or not." "It must be the first topic to discuss with sisterly countries, especially since Lebanon has begun strengthening its relations with the world." Salam had said that Lebanon, exhausted by divisions and wars, is returning to the Arab fold and will be open to the world.
Nahar Net
9 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Berri voices support for UNIFIL after recent clashes with locals
by Naharnet Newsdesk 8 hours Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri voiced support for United Nations peacekeepers after recent clashes between the peacekeepers and locals in south Lebanon, the latest in the southern town of Yater. "I support the UNIFIL peacekeepers whether they are wrong or right. Locals, even if they are supporters of Amal or Hezbollah, should try not to overreact," Berri told local al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published Friday. "We know that Israel is against the UNIFIL's presence in south Lebanon and has targeted them many times. This alone is enough for us to support their presence," he said, adding that "their presence has also made a positive impact on the economy in southern villages." Clashes have increased in recent weeks, with residents insisting that any UNIFIL patrol should be accompanied by Lebanese Army troops. The U.N. mission was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel's 1978 invasion and today UNIFIL operates in southern Lebanon at the request of the Lebanese government and under a mandate from the U.N. Security Council, but Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon frequently accuse the U.N. mission of collusion with Israel. Israel meanwhile accuses the peacekeepers of turning a blind eye to alleged Hezbollah military activities in southern Lebanon.
