Yediot Aharonot: Russia digs graves to search for the remains of an Israeli spy in Syria

The Israeli newspaper “Yediot Aharonot” revealed that the Russian army has intensified the search for the remains of the Israeli spy Eli Cohen, who was executed in Syria some 55 years ago.

The newspaper confirmed in a report, that “Russia is making great efforts to locate the remains of the Israeli spy Cohen, in preparation for their transfer to Israel”.

It stated that “the Russian army arrived at the cemetery of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp south of Damascus a few days ago to search.

According to what was reported by the Israeli “i24” website, “Yediot Aharonot” reported, “Israel has succeeded, through a series of talks with the Russian side, in obtaining part of the remains of its missing soldiers in Syria, as the Russian army found the remains of soldier” Zacharia Bommel “in the cemetery of the Yarmouk camp After the militants withdrew from it, the remains of “Bommel” were transported on board an “El Al” plane after being transported from Syria to a third country, likely Turkey, in March 2019.

The website stated that Russian media published rare pictures a few days ago that showed the spy Cohen wandering around the streets of Damascus, standing on a balcony overlooking the capital, warning that “the talk about the Israeli spy Cohen has returned with force in the Israeli media”.

Yediot Aharonot pointed out that Eli Cohen began his secret activities in Syria in 1961 under the name of “Kamel Amin Thabet”, and over the years, he managed to develop strong relations and became “close to the head of the Syrian government”.

The Israeli spy took advantage of these relations to “transmit valuable intelligence information to Israel regarding the deployment of the Syrian army in the Golan Heights,” and Cohen was at the height of his activity a candidate for the post of Deputy Syrian Defense Minister, according to the journalist.

In mid-2018, the Israeli intelligence “Mossad” announced the restoration of the wristwatch of the Israeli spy Cohen, and the “i24” website stated that “the Mossad announced that it had recovered the wristwatch worn by the spy Cohen in Syria, at the conclusion of a special operation”.

Yossi Cohen displayed this watch at a memorial service for the spy.

Cohen stated that “the watch displayed at the Mossad headquarters is a badge and perpetuation of the legendary fighter,” explaining that “an enemy state has kept the watch after Cohen’s execution,” without mentioning the name of that state.

The widow of the Israeli spy Cohen had previously accused the Israeli intelligence service “Mossad” of causing his execution by the Syrian authorities, and Nadia Cohen said, in a previous interview with the Israeli newspaper “Israel Today”: “They forced him to return to Syria to work (to spy) they knew his fate and that it was revealed”.

She added, “I do not forgive his operators who sent him to his demise, he went to his death by hanging”.