Mediated by Russia
The release of an Israeli woman and two Syrian shepherds in a prisoner exchange
The Israeli border fence with the Syrian governorate of Quneitra.
A.F.B.
Syria released an Israeli woman, the day before yesterday, after Israel returned two Syrian shepherds to the Syrian-controlled side of the Golan Heights, with Russian mediation.
The office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that the young woman was on her way home, after media reports reported that Russia had mediated a prisoner exchange, and that negotiators had traveled to Moscow to accompany her from there.
Netanyahu's office stated that she crossed the border into Syria several days ago, and Netanyahu spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin twice during efforts to secure her release.
The woman was from a very religious settlement, and she crossed the highly secure border in the Golan Heights to the Syrian side, where she was arrested, according to Israeli media.
The media also reported that, during the negotiations, two prisoners in Israel, two Syrian citizens of the Golan Heights, refused to return to Syria as part of the deal, and two sheep herders were released instead.
The Syrians were arrested several weeks ago, after they crossed the so-called "alpha" armistice line from Syria to the territories controlled by Israel.
In a statement announcing their release, the Israeli army said, in line with the directives of the Israeli government, that they were arrested east of the security fence, which Israel had built on the Golan Heights.
The Israeli army said that it released the two Syrians and handed them over to representatives of the Red Cross via the Quneitra crossing.
The official Syrian News Agency said: “The two Syrian captives were released: Muhammad Ahmad Hussein and Tariq Ghsab al-Obeidan, from the Quneitra governorate.”
Two prisoners refused to return to Syria as part of the deal.
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