Elizabeth Tsurkov (elizabeth-tsurkov.net)

Israeli media reported on Wednesday that an Israeli woman had been kidnapped in Iraq.

In turn, the office of the Prime Minister of the Israeli occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the Israeli woman kidnapped in Iraq "is still alive."

The Israeli-Russian academic, who had been missing in Iraq for several months, is being held by Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq, the Israeli Prime Minister's office claimed.

The office further claimed that Tsurkov had entered Iraq with her Russian passport at her own initiative pursuant to work on her doctorate and academic research on behalf of Princeton University in the US.

She entered Iraq using her Russian passport, the office said, adding that the relevant authorities in "Israel" are dealing with the situation and are in contact with Russia and the United States of America to ensure her release.

Read: Lebanon denies Kuwaiti journalist entry for visiting 'Israel'

It is noteworthy that Tsurkov has been over the past years working on preparing field research in Iraq, Syria, and occupied Palestine, for the benefit of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, based in Philadelphia, and the Forum for Regional Thinking, an Israeli think tank based in occupied Al-Quds.

On his part, Al Mayadeen correspondent in Iraq, Salah Al-Khuzaie, reported that no security or governmental official in Iraq has so far confirmed the Israeli claims.

"لا توجد أي مصادر رسمية أمنية أو حكومية عراقية تؤكّد معلومة اختفاء الامرأة الإسرائيلية في العراق".
مراسل #الميادين صلاح الخزاعي #العراق @salahalkhuzaie1 pic.twitter.com/uunA9t1Y6w
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) July 5, 2023

A few days ago, the General Security Service at Beirut International Airport stopped an Israeli holding a European passport. He was on a trip to Iraq and was subjected to investigations that lasted for more than 48 hours before he was re-deported after it became clear that he had no intention of entering Lebanon and that Beirut airport was a mandatory stop on his way to Iraq.

According to press sources, the Israeli admitted during the investigation that he holds Israeli "citizenship", that he lived in the occupation entity and served in its army, and that he has relations with a number of senior officials in the entity. He added that he was assigned to carry out work for the Israeli government.