Syrian Leadership Approves Return of Spy Eli Cohen Belongings to Israel to Ease Tensions

Syria's interim leadership, under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, approved the return of belongings belonging to executed Israeli spy Eli Cohen as a diplomatic gesture to ease tensions with Israel and demonstrate goodwill towards US President Donald Trump. The items, including documents, photographs, and personal effects, were recovered through a covert Mossad operation in cooperation with an allied foreign intelligence agency. Cohen, who infiltrated Syria's political and military elite in the early 1960s and was hanged in Damascus in 1965, is celebrated in Israel as a legendary spy whose intelligence contributed significantly to Israel's victory in the 1967 Six-Day War. The dossier was reportedly found by rebels after they ousted the Assad regime, and the decision to offer it back to Israel was part of secret, indirect talks mediated by the United Arab Emirates and other channels. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Cohen as the greatest intelligence agent in the state's history, while Mossad hailed the return of the archive as a moral achievement. Official comments from Netanyahu's office, Syrian officials, and the White House on Syria's role in the recovery have not been forthcoming.