Video purports to show Israeli-Russian researcher kidnapped in Iraq

The video is significant as it offers the first sign of life from Elizabeth Tsurkov, who had been missing for nearly eight months. It raises hopes for her potential release.

No group has officially claimed responsibility, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously stated that she was being held by the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataeb Hezbollah.

In the video, Tsurkov spoke in Hebrew with Arabic subtitles. She called for efforts to secure her release and for an end to the war in Gaza, suggesting that the video was made after a Hamas attack in Israel on Oct. 7.

The Iraqi government announced an investigation into her kidnapping after Netanyahu’s public statement in July but has not reported any results to date.

She is a 37-year-old doctoral student who focuses on the Middle East, particularly Syria and Iraq. She disappeared in Baghdad in March while conducting research for her doctorate at Princeton University, entering Iraq on her Russian passport due to the lack of diplomatic relations between Israel and Iraq.

According to local reports, an Iranian citizen was detained in connection with her kidnapping shortly after her disappearance. The Iranian Embassy in Baghdad reportedly sought his release and deportation to Iran.