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| Syria: Netanyahu to mom of missing US journalist: Israel careful not to hit area where he might be |
| 2024-12-19 |
| [IsraelTimes] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the mother of a US journalist missing in Syria that Israel is careful not to strike areas in which Austin Tice might be held. In a letter to Tice’s mother Debra Tice, published by journalist Barak Ravid, Netanyahu says: “Please rest assured that Israel and its intelligence agencies are fully coordinated with the relevant American authorities on the matter and that the IDF is not active in the area where Austin may be located.” Debra had written to Netanyahu asking him to halt Israeli strikes in a particular neighborhood of Damascus where Tice is credibly believed to be held. “We have credible information… that Austin may now be held in a prison called Mt. Qasioun prison. This prison has a secret tunnel which connects the Al-Maliki neighborhood to the Republic Palace. The prison is located underneath a military museum,” Debra Tice wrote. “We are aware that your military has an active campaign in the area, preventing rescuers from approaching and accessing the prison facility,” she said. “We urgently request you pause strikes on this area and deploy Israeli assets to search for Austin Tice and other prisoners. Time is of the essence. We are calling on you to leverage all your relationships and resources to liberate that prison.” Israel does not have troops on the ground in the area, with its forces only deployed near the Israeli border to secure it.
Related: Austin Tice 12/14/2024 Austin Tice escaped Syrian captivity in 2013 before being recaptured — sources Austin Tice 04/22/2024 Assad says Syria has held ‘meetings' with US on possibly mending ties with West Austin Tice 08/20/2022 US Affirms Austin Tice Held In Syria |
| Posted by:trailing wife |