Approximately 60 years ago, on May 18, 1965, Syria executed the operative, “our man in Damascus,” who ranked among the most accomplished spies the Mossad deployed in Syria. He had achieved legendary status through his extraordinary infiltration of Syrian leadership circles, becoming an advisor to senior decision-makers. Following his capture, authorities conducted a show trial, and despite Israeli attempts to negotiate an agreement with the Syrians to spare his life, he received a death sentence and was executed by hanging at midnight in Damascus’s central square.

The passing years transformed Cohen, a hero and legend both in life and death, into a recognizable figure in every Israeli household, including a Netflix series exploring his life. Nevertheless, all efforts to establish him as a legend did not diminish his family and friends’ pain, nor did they provide answers to the questions surrounding his death.

In May, precisely 60 years following his execution, through a covert Mossad operation, Syrian archives concerning the late Eli Cohen were retrieved alongside thousands of additional materials held by the enemy army. The archives contain approximately 2,500 documents, raising fresh hope for locating his burial site after his execution in Syria.