Debra Tice, mother of journalist Austin Tice who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, U.S., May 2, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
Israel will not strike in areas where abducted American journalist Austin Tice could be held, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured his mother, Debra Tice, in a personal letter.
Austin Tice was abducted from Darayya, Syria in 2012 and has since been missing.
The search for Tice was re-energized after the fall of the Assad regime two weeks ago, which led to the liberation of the thousands of political prisoners, including Syrians but also foreigners, held in regime jails across the country.
“I cannot imagine the depth of your concern over your son Austin’s life and wellbeing. Your resilience as a mother in times of such uncertainty is admirable,” Netanyahu wrote in a letter published by Axios.
🚨🚨🚨Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised the mother of U.S. journalist Austin Tice that the IDF isn’t conducting airstrikes in areas in Syria where he might be located. My story on @axios https://t.co/Hzopew9lIW pic.twitter.com/zkMxsx5gY5
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) December 18, 2024
The prime minister vowed: “Please rest assured that Israel and its intelligence agencies are fully coordinated with the relevant American authorities on the matter and that the IDF is not active in the area where Austin may be located.”
“I hope that you find a measure of comfort in that knowledge that your son’s courage and dedication as a journalist have not gone unnoticed. His commitment to the truth and to shining a light on the war in Syria have inspired so many people. Please stay strong,” Netanyahu concluded.
His message was in response to a letter by Debra Tice, where she told Netanyahu, “We have credible information… that Austin may now be held in a prison called Mt. Qasioun prison. This prison has a secret tunnel which connects the Al-Maliki neighborhood to the Republic Palace. The prison is located underneath a military museum,” she wrote.
“We are aware that your military has an active campaign in the area, preventing rescuers from approaching and accessing the prison facility. We have no way of knowing if the prisoners there have food and water,” she wrote.
“We urgently request you pause strikes on this area and deploy Israeli assets to search for Austin Tice and other prisoners,” she added.
Mount Qasioun overlooks Damascus from the northwest and is an area Israeli troops have not reached during their advance into Syrian territory to create a buffer zone, following the takeover of the Islamist rebel group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Last week, Israel conducted a large wave of airstrikes striking hundreds of military targets across Syria, destroying 70-80% of the military capabilities of the regime, according to IDF estimates. Since then, the Israeli Air Force has sporadically struck additional military sites.
Austin Tice was last seen in a video released by his kidnappers in 2012, some weeks after they captured him.
The short clip shows him tied up and blindfolded, being led by armed, masked men dressed in an Afghan style, who were shouting “Allahu Akbar.”
According to the New York Times, the video was allegedly staged by Syrian intelligence to appear as if jihadi rebels kidnapped Tice. A witness told the FBI that Tice was being held in a detention facility under the control of Bassam al-Hassan, a close advisor responsible for security for the now-deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
After the fall of the regime, the White House indirectly asked HTS, which remains a designated terror group in the U.S., for assistance in locating Tice.
The United States provided HTS with the names of al-Hassan and two other former senior security officials in the regime who are suspected of knowing his whereabouts, as well as a list of possible jails where Tice was held. In addition, the White House turned to Lebanese officials to find out where senior security officials fled after the regime collapsed.
Meanwhile, Debra Tice turned to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a letter to request his assistance, NBC News reported.
“The current situation in Syria compels us to ask for your help in finding Austin and safely reuniting our family,” she wrote. “You have profound connections with the Syrian government, which can be a great benefit for our unrelenting efforts to find our Austin and reunite our family.”
Tice added: “In this holiday season of peace and goodwill, we respectfully request your assistance in finding Austin and safely reuniting him with our family.”
