Israel Searches Syria for Remains of Spy Eli Cohen With Russia’s Help

Palestinian officials revealed to AFP on Monday that Israel, through Russian mediators, is seeking to locate in Syria the remains of the famous spy Eli Cohen as well as those of a missing soldier. This initiative comes in a context of political change in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime. “Contacts have been established with us through mediators to help us find the remains of an Israeli soldier missing since 1982,” said a Palestinian official in Damascus, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. “Contacts are also underway to determine the location where the remains of the Israeli agent known as Eli Cohen are buried,” he added.

A second Palestinian official, based abroad, confirmed that mediation was being carried out by Russia with Palestinian officials outside Syria. In 2021, a war observatory had already reported that Russian forces were searching the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, south of Damascus, for the remains of Cohen and two Israeli soldiers.

Eli Cohen, whose story was adapted into the Netflix series “The Spy” starring Sacha Baron Cohen, was hanged for espionage by the Syrians in 1965 after infiltrating the highest levels of government. The information he obtained was said to have played a crucial role in Israel’s conquest of the Golan in the 1967 Six-Day War.

In 2019, Israel released two Syrian prisoners as a “gesture of goodwill” after the return of the remains of soldier Zachary Baumel, missing since 1982. Vladimir Putin then declared that the remains had been found by the Russian and Syrian armies, although A Syrian official denied any knowledge of the repatriation plans.