A court in Peru ordered Tuesday the release of Hodaya Monsonego, an Israeli woman who has been held in the country for two years over allegations of attempted drug smuggling, Israel's Foreign Ministry announced this week.

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Monsonego, a 25-year-old with special needs, was arrested at a local airport in May 2019 after authorities discovered more than 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of cocaine in her bag. Following a three-month-long legal proceeding, she was held at a women's prison for 279 days. In May 2020, she was released to house arrest in Lima.

Monsonego's family claimed that she was taken advantage of by a friend she was traveling with because of her disability. They launched a social media campaign in Israel to raise awareness of her situation.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid was personally involved in efforts to return Monsonego home.

Upon hearing of her release, Lapid said: "In my first week in office, I appointed a special team to handle Hodaya's release and worked closely with them. We will not celebrate until we see her land in the country, although the news is cause for joy.

"I consider helping young people with special needs to be my life's mission," said Lapid, who has a daughter with special needs.

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A video currently making the rounds on Palestinian social media sites shows two female IDF soldiers dancing with two Egyptian soldiers on the other side of the border, several dozen yards in the distance.

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The song playing in the background is "Habib Galabi" by the popular Israeli band A-Wa.

The otherwise jovial scene depicted in the video is in stark contrast to the other reality along the Israeli-Egyptian border, in which IDF troops stationed in the area must cope with armed drug smugglers.

According to the IDF, there has been an increase in smuggling attempts in the first quarter of 2021, and, as a result, drug busts carried out by soldiers.

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No injuries or damage to property belonging to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were reported. 

"IDF troops who tried to thwart the smuggling spotted a number of suspects who opened fire at them. The soldiers returned fire," the IDF said in a statement. 

It remains unclear if the IDF was successful in stopping the drug smuggling operation. An investigation into the incident has been opened and the IDF is searching for possible suspects. 

This article was originally published by i24NEWS.

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