Sixty Years Later: Syria Preparing to Hand Over Remains of Eli Cohen

A report from the Saudi outlet Al-Hadath has generated significant speculation, claiming that Syria may be on the verge of handing over the remains of legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen to Israel, nearly six decades after his execution in Damascus.

The unconfirmed report marks the first substantive sign that Damascus might be considering returning Cohen's body, which has been hidden since his public execution in 1965.

Preceded by Secret Recovery of Personal Items

The claim follows a Mossad operation earlier this year that successfully recovered thousands of Cohen's personal documents and belongings. While that mission did not retrieve his remains, the materials recovered were described as highly significant.

According to Al-Hadath, the process of recovering Cohen's remains, a long-standing and deeply emotional demand by his family and the Israeli government, has been initiated. The report alleges that a Syrian helicopter was used to transport the recovered items from the Sweida region, taking a cautious route and avoiding neighboring airspace due to the extreme sensitivity of the mission.

A Sensitive Diplomatic Opening

Neither the Israeli nor the Syrian government has officially confirmed the report. However, the timing and high-profile nature of the Al-Hadath report suggest a potential diplomatic shift.

Eli Cohen, who successfully infiltrated the highest levels of the Syrian government in the early 1960s, remains a national hero in Israel. His body has been secretly buried in an undisclosed location for 60 years. Any move by the Syrian regime to repatriate his remains would signal a major, if quiet, shift in regional relations and humanitarian cooperation. The reported recovery follows years of unsuccessful Israeli attempts to locate and return Cohen's remains.