"Elizabeth Tsurkov is still alive and we hold Iraq responsible for her safety and well-being," a statement released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.

Tsurkov had visited Iraq "on her Russian passport at her own initiative pursuant to work on her doctorate and academic research on behalf of Princeton University in the US", the statement said.

According to an Iraqi intelligence source, Tsurkov was kidnapped in the Iraqi capital Baghdad "at the beginning of Ramadan", the Muslim fasting month which this year commenced on March 23.

She had arrived in Baghdad "at the beginning of December 2022", a Western diplomat stationed in Iraq said on condition of anonymity.

Kataeb Hezbollah is a powerful faction of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, Iran-backed former paramilitaries that were integrated into the Iraqi security forces.

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