Elizabeth Tsurkov, who returned to Israel on Wednesday after nearly two and a half years in captivity by the pro-Iranian militia Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq, spoke last night with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from Sheba Medical Center.
“I went through very difficult things, torture in Iraq,” Tsurkov told Netanyahu in a conversation that was partly released today. “It will take time to recover. I want to thank the medical teams and the Hostages Directorate staff for their devoted care,” she said.
Elizabeth reuniting with friends and family
(Photo: GPO)
During the call, Tsurkov also mentioned Gali and Ziv Berman, who were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on Oct. 7 and have now been held in Gaza for 707 days. “Yesterday was their birthday. Birthdays are the hardest days in captivity. I wish for all the hostages to return quickly to their families,” she said.
Netanyahu responded: “That is exactly what we are working on. As you know, we have already brought back more than 207 hostages, 148 of them alive. I hope we can bring them all home soon. We worked very hard for your release, carrying out an intensive, focused effort together with the United States, and we thank them for their help. It’s good to see you home, and I’m glad you are here.”
Tsurkov also spoke about the situation in Iraq: “My case reveals the current reality in the country, which suffers from the influence of Iranian proxies that harm the lives of thousands of innocent people. I am one of them, but there are many others. I very much hope that you and the international community will act on this issue to put an end to it.”
Netanyahu replied: “You are right, this is a serious problem. Iran is trying to take full control of Iraq, and beyond the suffering of the population, it also uses Iraq to attack Israel. I have also told your brother that the most important thing you as a family can do now is to receive all the care you need, both physical and emotional. I hope you will find the strength to recover.”
On Thursday, the first footage of Tsurkov after her return was released. She was seen limping at Sheba Medical Center, where she was taken after landing in Israel, but smiling. She even recalled a moment when she had seen the hospital director at a press conference in Israel.
Tsurkov, 38, is an Israeli researcher who also holds Russian citizenship and had been living in the United States while pursuing her doctorate at Princeton University. She was freed in Iraq after two and a half years in captivity and landed in Israel on Wednesday. From Ben Gurion Airport, she was taken to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, where she was admitted to an isolated ward under a protocol similar to that for hostages released from Gaza.
She spent Wednesday night with her family at the hospital. She has difficulty sitting due to back pain and is receiving medical assistance. According to reports in several outlets, shortly before her abduction Tsurkov had undergone spinal surgery, which may have worsened her condition.
She has been undergoing a series of medical tests. “I saw you at press conferences,” she told Dr. Yael Frankel-Nir, the hospital’s general director and head of the returnee intake program at Sheba. Frankel-Nir replied: “Now this is your press conference.”
First published: 14:29, 09.12.25