Friday 19th February 2021
Two shepherds for an Israeli woman
Israel and Syria exchange prisoners
Relations between the neighboring countries Syria and Israel are bad. Israel is occupying the Golan Heights, Syria is allowing the anti-Israel Hezbollah militia to stay on its territory. The mutual friend Russia can mediate in a dispute.
In a prisoner exchange mediated by Russia, Israel and Syria exchanged two Syrian shepherds for one Israeli woman. As the Israeli army announced on Thursday evening, the shepherds arrested a few weeks ago in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights were handed over to the Red Cross at the Kuneitra border crossing. In return, Syria released a young Israeli woman who accidentally crossed the border.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked his "friend", Russian President Vladimir Putin, for mediating the case. Russia has good relations with the government of the Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad and has soldiers stationed in the country.
Israel and Syria are separated by a de facto border on the Golan Heights. Israel has occupied the area since the end of the Six Day War in 1967 and annexed it in 1981. The international community still does not recognize the annexation to this day.
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