Baghdad, Iraq

Israeli-Russian academic Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was reportedly kidnapped in Iraq in March, was seen alive in a video shown by Iraqi pro-militia Telegram channels on Monday (Nov 13). 

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Earlier in July, Israeli authorities had revealed that Tsurkov had been kidnapped. Israel alleged that pro-Iranian militants were behind the kidnapping. 

Now, in a video aired by Al Rabiaa TV, Tsurkov was seen wearing a black shirt and speaking to the camera in Hebrew. 

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The video, which was also shared on the Telegram channels of pro-Iranian armed groups in Iraq, lasted for a little more than four minutes. 

However, it can't be confirmed when exactly the video was shot, or other details such as who the captors are, and more. 

In the video, the 37-year-old can be heard calling for an end to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and also asks to act for her release. She also said that she had been detained for more than seven months. 

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Also read: Hamas held some of Oct 7 hostages in a hospital, alleges Israel 

Tsurkov is a doctoral student at Princeton University and a fellow at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy. 

She said in the video that she had worked for Israeli and US intelligence agencies in Syria and Iraq.

In a report by HAARETZ, it was mentioned that Tsurkov, who is a dual Israeli-Russian citizen, entered Iraq earlier this year using her Russian passport. 

The report has said that she has often done this for her work doctorate and academic research at Princeton University as she is an expert on the Middle East. 

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What did Israel say? 

After the latest video surfaced, neither her family nor Israeli authorities have commented. 

But an announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office was made in July, which stated that Tsurkov "is still alive, and we consider Iraq responsible for her fate and wellbeing". 

Later in July, the Iraqi government said it had launched an investigation concerning her disappearance but has not announced any findings since. 

(With inputs from agencies) 

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.