Syria presented belongings of spy Eli Cohen to 'Israel': Reuters
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Syria handed over the Cohen archive to "Israel" as a goodwill gesture amid secret talks mediated by the UAE, aiming to ease tensions and build rapport with US President Donald Trump.
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Elie Cohen, far left, head of an Israeli spy ring, listens as he is sentenced to death by a special military court in Damascus, Syria, May 8, 1965 (AP)
Syria's leadership agreed to transfer the possessions of the late spy Eli Cohen to "Israel" as part of an effort to reduce tensions with the entity and demonstrate goodwill toward US President Donald Trump, according to three sources who spoke to Reuters.
On Sunday, "Israel" revealed that it had successfully retrieved a collection of documents, photographs, and personal items linked to Cohen, stating that its intelligence agency, Mossad, had collaborated with an unspecified foreign intelligence service to obtain the materials.
A Syrian security source, an advisor to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, and an individual familiar with backchannel discussions between the two parties revealed that the archive of materials was actually presented to "Israel" as an indirect goodwill gesture by al-Sharaa, who aims to reduce hostilities and foster confidence with Trump.
Although "Israel" has repeatedly attempted to retrieve Cohen's body for a proper burial, the Mossad praised the recovery of his archive, which had been held by Syrian intelligence for six decades, as "an achievement of the highest moral order."
The offices of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Syrian officials, and the White House did not provide an immediate response when asked by Reuters to comment on Syria's involvement in facilitating "Israel's" retrieval of the Cohen archive.
Syria leverages Cohen's possessions
According to the Syrian security source, after armed groups under al-Sharaa's leadership unexpectedly overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in December, they discovered the Cohen dossier in a state security facility, with al-Sharaa and his foreign advisors promptly determining to utilize the material as a bargaining tool.
The Syrian security source stated that al-Sharaa recognized the Cohen archive held significance for "Israel" and that handing it over could serve as a notable diplomatic signal.
Earlier this month, Reuters reported that the United Arab Emirates had established a backchannel to facilitate discussions between "Israel" and Syria, which included initiatives aimed at fostering confidence-building measures between the two sides.
According to a source familiar with the negotiations, Syria agreed during the talks to take steps such as handing over the remains of Cohen along with three Israeli soldiers who were killed in clashes with Syrian forces in Lebanon during the early 1980s, with "Israel" confirming last week that the body of one of those soldiers, Zvi Feldman, had already been repatriated.
