BICOM

Israel released two Syrian prisoners yesterday in a move the Israeli Government described as a gesture of “goodwill” towards Russian President Vladimir Putin, who last month facilitated the return of the remains of Israeli soldier Zachary Baumel, who was killed in the 1982 Lebanon War.

The two prisoners, Hamis Ahmad and Zidan Tweil, were handed over to Red Cross officials at the Quneitra crossing on the Golan Heights. Ahmad, a Fatah operative from the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, was imprisoned in 2005 after attempting to infiltrate into Israel and attack an Israeli army base. He was due to be released in 2023. Tweil, from the Syrian village of Khader, was imprisoned in 2008 for drug offences and was due to be released in July.

Israeli officials denied the prisoners were released as part of an exchange deal in which Baumel’s remains were returned. Russia’s special envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, said Israel had agreed to release the Syrians in return for Baumel’s body and Syrian sources confirmed the deal to Reuters. Speaking to RT on Saturday, Lavrentiev said: “… when the decision to surrender [Baumel’s] body was made, we thanked the Syrian side for their understanding. But this action was not unilateral — Israel made a decision, which it will have to carry out later, to release some of the Syrian citizens who are in Israeli jails.” Israeli officials insisted that: “Only after Zachary Baumel’s body was returned did Israel decide, in the last few days, to release the two prisoners as a gesture of good will.”

Ahmad and Tweil were formally pardoned last week by President Reuven Rivlin to facilitate their early release. Outgoing justice minister, Ayelet Shaked, and Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, were involved in the process. Prime Minister Netanyahu has been criticised because members of the Israeli Security Cabinet were not consulted or informed about the prisoner release. Israeli law dictates that such releases must be approved by the cabinet when they are driven by diplomatic considerations.