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The Media Line: Senior Syrian Official Denies Return of Eli Cohen’s Remains Is Imminent, but Confirms Negotiations Are in Progress  

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Senior Syrian Official Denies Return of Eli Cohen’s Remains Is Imminent, but Confirms Negotiations Are in Progress  

By Rizik Alabi/The Media Line  

A senior Syrian official told The Media Line reports claiming that the remains of Israeli spy Eli Cohen would soon be returned to Tel Aviv were false. However, he confirmed talks with the Israeli side are still ongoing and have not yet reached a final agreement.  

The official said that discussing a specific date or logistical details for the handover of the remains is unreasonable while talks are still underway, adding that Damascus is handling the matter within a highly sensitive political and security framework that does not permit media leaks or speculation.   

The Syrian official’s denial came after the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the remains of Cohen, who was executed in Syria in 1965, might soon be handed over to Israel, describing the move as a “Syrian gesture” taking place amid unannounced security talks between Damascus and Tel Aviv.  

According to the newspaper, the possible handover is linked to ongoing negotiations for a new security agreement between the two countries. The report also noted that this diplomatic progress followed comments made about a month ago by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who said the talks “could yield results soon.”   

In her first reaction to the report, Nadia Cohen, the widow of the Israeli spy, expressed optimism about the possible return of the remains, saying: “I believe the time has come to demand Eli’s body. I have greater hope that what is happening in Syria allows for more flexibility and communication.”   

She added that she had contacted the Israeli Mossad following the media reports, but the agency informed her that it had no official information on the matter. However, she stressed that she “never loses hope.”  

These developments come months after the Mossad announced it had carried out a complex secret operation in cooperation with an “unnamed strategic partner,” through which it retrieved the Syrian archive related to Eli Cohen and transferred it to Israel.  

At the time, the Hebrew daily Maariv reported that the operation took place shortly before the 60th anniversary of Cohen’s execution and led to the recovery of about 2,500 documents, photos, and personal items preserved in a secret Syrian security archive. The collection reportedly contained recordings of Cohen’s interrogations, family letters, rare photographs, and Mossad operational orders.   

Among the most notable discoveries was Cohen’s original will, written before his execution on May 18, 1965, as well as the keys to his apartment in Damascus, forged passports, disguise documents and personal effects.  

These reports are viewed as part of renewed diplomatic and security activity in the region, amid signs of indirect communication between Damascus and Tel Aviv. For now, however, they remain unconfirmed and confined to media speculation, with no official acknowledgment from either government.  

 

 

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