Efforts to secure the release of a 25-year-old Israeli woman from Modiin Illit who crossed into Syria from the Quneitra Crossing were ongoing, Wednesday night.
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National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and special negotiator for hostages and prisoners of war Yaron Blum returned from Moscow, Wednesday night, following 48 hours of mediation and talks between Israel, Russia, and Syria that also included Israel's Ambassador to Moscow Alexander Ben Zvi.
Senior Israeli officials believe that a deal on the matter will be finalized in the coming days.
According to Syrian media reports, in return for the release of the Israeli citizen, Jerusalem will release two residents of the Golan Heights, one Druze and the other an Arab Israeli, convicted for aiding Hezbollah. The two terrorists, however, have refused to be deported to Syria as part of the deal.
Mediation efforts to secure the woman's release have been ongoing for two weeks now. According to foreign reports, the woman suffers from a mental illness and may have entered the enemy territory due to a romantic relationship with a Syrian citizen.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment on the reports in an interview with Army Radio, Wednesday night.
"We are acting to save lives. All I can say is that I am using my personal ties with [Russian] President [Vladmir] Putin. We are in the midst of sensitive contacts. We are acting discreetly and responsibly, and I believe we will resolve it," he said.
According to Arab media reports, the woman in question is a member of Israel's Haredi sector.
According to Syrian reports, should the deal move forward, the two Israeli residents, who see themselves as Syrian, were Nihal Al-Maqt and Dhiyab Qahmuz. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Al-Maqt is not in prison but rather under house arrest in the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights. She has yet to go on trial.
Lebanese media reports said the prisoner exchange deal would also see Israel agree to limit its strikes on Syria.
As part of the close cooperation between the two countries, Syrian media reported Russian soldiers have been conduction operations for several years to locate the bodies of missing Israelis in Syria.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu hastily convened a secretive cabinet meeting. Although details of the one-hour meeting were largely shrouded in secrecy, the press was informed Israel had asked Russia to use its influence with Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime to help with what was defined as a "humanitarian" matter.
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