Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured the family of missing journalist Austin Tice that the Israel Defense Forces was not conducting airstrikes in the Syrian regions where he may be located, according to a letter obtained by Axios.
Tice, an American freelance journalist and photographer, was kidnapped in Damascus, Syria, on Aug. 13, 2012.
“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,” Netanyahu wrote in the Dec. 17 letter.
Since the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, Israel has launched a bombing campaign across Syria to take out Syrian military weapon systems and arms depots.
The upset in the Syrian government has also relaunched the search for Tice with greater urgency. The Biden administration said that it is working under the assumption that Tice is alive and was held by the Assad regime in one of Syria’s many prisons.
Tice’s mother, Debra Tice, sent a letter to Netanyahu noting that she had “credible information” that her son was being held in a detention center near Damascus. She asked for Israeli forces to pause the bombing campaign to allow rescuers to reach the site.
“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. “Please know that you are not alone.”
“His commitment to the truth and to shining a light on the war in Syria have inspired so many people,” he added, praising Tice’s courage and dedication as a journalist.
