Elizabeth Tsurkov is Back Home, But She's Not OK

After more than two and a half years in captivity in Iraq, Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov arrived at Sheba Hospital at 11:00 PM last night. She was seen limping and is scheduled to undergo a comprehensive series of physical and psychological tests today, as reported by Walla.

The limp is reportedly a result of a pre-existing back condition that worsened while she was in captivity. Tsurkov is being held in an isolated ward and is expected to be released early next week, depending on the results of her medical examinations.

Tsurkov’s arrival at the hospital followed her landing in Israel late last night. She was received as part of the official protocol for returning hostages, accompanied by her family and a medical team.

The news of her release came from an unexpected source earlier this week when U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his X account that she had been freed. Trump stated that the Princeton student, whose sister is an American citizen, was released by Kataeb Hezbollah after being "tortured for many months." Her release was also confirmed by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, who described Tsurkov as a Russian citizen.

Tsurkov, a renowned academic and expert on Syria and the Middle East, was a doctoral student at Princeton University. In November 2024, a video of her was released in which she appeared to make a forced confession, claiming to have worked for the Mossad and the CIA.