Israel and Syria appear to have to struck a prisoner-exchange deal, though not all the details of the arrangement are known.
The exchange involved several Israelis and Syrians and was mediated by Russia. An Israeli woman from an ultra-Orthodox West Bank settlement illegally entered Syria recently and was detained by the authorities. She was later transferred to Russian custody. To secure her release, Israel sent two recently detained Syrian shepherds who had illegally entered Israel back to Syria on Thursday. Israel and Syria were also in talks regarding two residents of the Golan Heights, Nahal al-Makat and Diab Kahamuz, who were convicted of crimes by Israel, according to Israeli and Syrian media outlets.
