Israel Channel 2 News reports on Wednesday night 18 Elul that Lebanon’s LBC News reported the remains of Israeli spy Eli Cohen HY”D will be returned to Israel for Kvura after 51 years. Cohen was hanged in Damascus after being found guilty of being an Israeli spy in 1965. The family of Cohen has made appeals for the return of his remains over the years, wishing to bring him to kvuras Yisrael.

The surprise message from Lebanon is not attributed to any organization, but simply stating factions connected to Syrian rebels. In addition, it is not known if any organization in Syria has possession of his remains.

Channel 2 does add that this is the same news source, LBC, that in the past released information and a video pertaining to missing IAF navigator Ron Arad.

On Tuesday, the news pertaining to the planned return of Cohen’s remains made the rounds on Syrian social media including the video of him being put to death in 1965.

His widow, Mrs. Nadia Cohen explains this is most difficult for her, returning sending her back in time. “I did not really look at the video” she describes, “only photos, but the children say it today and as one might expect, the sadness has returned and permeated our neshomos…”

Cohen was working in Syria from 1961 and was said to have developed close relationships with political and military personnel. His actions were uncovered and he was sentenced to death. The information that he gathered was reportedly a contributory factor to Israel’s success in the June 1967 Six Day War.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)