The Israeli young woman Naama Issachar has been released from prison in Russia after ten months in prison, media reports in the country say.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will land in Moscow this morning and meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a meeting expected to officially engage in U.S. President Trump's Mideast initiative.
At noon, Netanyahu will take off back to Israel and, according to the plan, will take Naama Issachar with him on his plane.
Yaffa Issachar, Naama's mother said after receiving the message about her daughter's release, "I'm excited, enthusiastic to see her. I'm waiting to be taken to her. How wonderful that she got out. Thank you to the Creator."
Yesterday, a senior official in the inter-ministerial team who handled contacts to release Yissachar explained there was no deal with the Russians, and that Yissachar's release was made as a gesture by President Putin to Prime Minister Netanyahu.
According to the source, there is also no connection between the release and measures taken in Russia's favor: "The gestures that Israel has taken towards Russia are also intended to tighten ties also in light of other issues between the two countries," he said.
"The matter was handled by an inter-ministerial staff that included the head of the NSC, Minister Ze'ev Elkin, the Foreign Ministry, the Justice Ministry and Deputy Attorney General. The issues were brought for decision by the relevant ministers and the Prime Minister,” the official noted.
The official also explained the motives that led to the State's intervention in the case. "The State acted in Naama's case - not only because of the mutual guarantee that is true for other cases as well - but with a desire to resolve a case that could hurt the sensitive relationship between Israel and Russia, and in light of the State's opinion on another matter that worked against Naama."