A picture taken from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights shows smoke billowing from the Syrian side of the border on June 26, 2017. (Photo by AFP)
In a surprise development, Syrian announced on February 17 that it will be exchanging prisoners with Israel under a deal brokered by Russia.
According to a statement released by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), under the breakthrough deal Israel will release two Syrian captives, Nihal Almukt and Dhiab Qahmuz, from its prions.
Last year, Nihal, a native of the occupied Syrian town of Majdal Shams in al-Golan Heights, was sentenced to three years in jail by Israeli court for anti-occupation activities. Qahmuz, from the Israeli-occupied town of Ghajar on the Syrian-Lebanese border, was sentenced in 2016 for 14 years in jail for cooperating with Hezbollah.
In return for the release of the two captives, Syria will release an Israel girl who was arrested after accidently crossing into the country a while ago. The girl’s identity is yet to revealed.
“The exchange process is currently taking place under Russian mediation,” the SANA’s statement reads.
This was the second deal between Syria and Israel in the recent years. In 2019, Israel recovered the remains of Zachary Baumel, a U.S.-born Israeli soldier missing since a 1982 tank battle against the Syrian Arab Army. Russia facilitated the recovery efforts. Several Syrian prisoners were released from Israeli jails in return.
A day earlier, the Israel cabinet held an urgent meeting in Tel Aviv on a “humanitarian issue tied to Syria.” The deal was likely approved during the meeting.
The deal will not likely be the last one. Israel is still on the look for the remains of two soldiers and a spy, Eli Cohne, who were buried in Syria. According to recent reports, Russian and Syrian forces are currently carrying out an operation to locate the remains.
Well done Putin,
a girl against 2 syrians who indeed would be considered innocent by any regular court of law, except, of course, the jewish ones.
putin is softer than a friggin marsmallow and should be roosted like those.
Thats great and all but…
Israel still launches air attacks with impunity against syria so whats the point???
They dont care….
rusisa would be a fool to continue these deals if israel still attacks like before
I agree but …
Israel isn’t at war with Syria … hello?
Iran/IRGC/Hezbollah must be upset to see any non-combat interactions … especially since Russia facilitated it
Exchange what? Mossadisis…?
Russia’s Hypersonic Avangard ICBMs Pose an Unprecedented Threat to America
In the New Year, its Strategic Missile Force will receive thirteen launchers equipped with the latest Yars and Avangard ICBMs……….The Avangard boost-glide vehicle is reported to have hypersonic speed, and is capable of flying at a hypersonic speed of up to Mach 27—or about 32,000 kilometers per hour—in the dense layers of the atmosphere, maneuvering by its flight path and its altitude and breaching any anti-missile defense. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/russia%E2%80%99s-hypersonic-avangard-icbms-pose-unprecedented-threat-america-178097
A propos of nothing … hello?
Retribution on Mother Russia would be EQUALLY LETHAL …
What’s your alleged point?
What happened was, a 25 years old woman crossed the border into Syria for unknown reason. Our policy is that we don’t leave Israelis hostages in other countries, no matter what was the reason. So they can take their 2 prisoners, we won’t need to waste resources on them anymore. She will be trialed according to the law, but first she needs to return to her family.
Poor girl was trying to escape from Israel and she was not held hostage at all. So easy to change the story too your advantage. She was never a hostage. Been watching too many American bank robbery movies. So she will be returned and ” Trailed ” . Trailed for what , to see how fast she can run so you know how far to keep her away from the border so the guards can stop her next attempt for freedom. If she wanted to be with her family she would have stayed in Israel instead of escaping its clutches.
She’s Israeli …
Why attempt to cross the Syrian frontier? lol
Ben Gurion airport is meant for exiting the country … hello?
It doesn’t compute … Spock pmsl
Idiot. She was escaping too Syria . Israel is hardly going to allow her to fly too Damascus are they. What would people say if they saw every freedom flight too Damascus was fully booked so they stopped flights too Damascus. Hello ….. It doesn’t compute because you need a brain to start with… Hello again…
If she wanted to get to Syria …. cross from Turkey … NOT a hostile border
BTW … the 2 Syrian prisoners REFUSE to be sent into Syria …. lol
YOU CANNOT MAKE THIS STUFF UP … eh?
Well it looks like YOU have made it up.. Poppycock.
‘Freedom Flight to Damascus’?
YOU’RE kidding … right?
Let’s play a ‘thought experiment’ … if flights from Damascus to Tel Aviv were allowed … Syrians would flee the chaos and depravity NON-STOP
Ain’t no one that would fly to Damascus from Tel Aviv … lol
YOU’VE exposed yourself as an Assad Crime Family toady … yuck
Fishing is such a peaceful pastime. Fly fishing is even better.. You are welcome spaltz. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a22d8ba843ea7425934a190594b622d3763e094591d859102c853bf30990266b.jpg
Caughtcha …
next
syria and assad should just sit tight and allow the Iranians to complete the work towards the end of the lying, thieving and murdering pesticides illegally occupying palestine. what a larf when the last friggin parasitic jew in palestine is sent on his way to hell. a day to behold and a day to celebrate.
what can go wrong – 85 plus another 100 millions of enemies to the jews, adequately armed and the will to bury the parasites in the desert. the fewfriggin jews will just be made into minced meat and then left to rot in the desert sand, nukes or no nukes.
I didn’t know Syria, and Assad were “sitting tight” so Iran could work. When did this happen ? I sorta’ thought Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Russia, and recently Iraq were allies, and were working together on this. With some other like-minded countries. Damn !!! I hate when that happens !! I NEVER get the memo, !!! This shit has gotta’ stop.
The prime minister, Benyamin Mileikowsky, speaks privately, and in Russian, with President Vladimir Putin, Defense ministers Benny Gantz and Sergey Shoygu speak privately and FM Gaby Asjkenazi with counterpart Sergey Lavrov speak privately, all about arranging an exchange of one Israeli girl lost in Syria for two (Israeli) Druze men held in prison? Nonsense. The ball is in play.