The Media Line: Israel Intensifies Efforts To Free Researcher Abducted in Iraq

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Israel Intensifies Efforts To Free Researcher Abducted in Iraq 

By The Media Line Staff 

Israel is ramping up diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Russian Israeli researcher and Princeton University doctoral student who was abducted in Baghdad on March 26, 2023. Meetings held this week in Israel included Brig. Gen. (ret.) Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for hostages and missing persons, Tsurkov’s family, and international mediators from Europe and the US, according to officials familiar with the discussions. 

Tsurkov, 36, was conducting academic research in Baghdad when she was kidnapped, reportedly by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed armed group. While the group denies involvement, Israeli officials believe she remains in their custody. Video footage released by her captors in November 2023 confirmed her well-being but showed her delivering scripted demands related to the Gaza conflict. 

The meetings focused on leveraging diplomatic channels to pressure Iraq’s government to act on her case. A high-ranking Israeli official expressed hope that shifting regional dynamics, including the cessation of militia attacks on Israel from Iraqi soil, might create opportunities for progress. International mediators are reportedly engaged with Iraqi factions to establish negotiation pathways. 

Tsurkov’s family has publicly criticized Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for inaction, with her sister Emma confronting him during his April 2023 visit to Washington. The US and Israel have both pressed Baghdad for action, with former US President Joe Biden reportedly raising the issue directly with al-Sudani last year.