Yazidi girl kidnapped by ISIS in 2014 at age 11 and ‘sold’ in Iraq before being trafficked to Gaza is rescued after 10 years – as video ‘shows an emotional reunion with family’
A Yazidi woman kidnapped by ISIS as a child before being trafficked to Hamas in Gaza has been rescued and reunited with her family after a decade in captivity, officials said today.
Fawzia Amin Sido was just eleven years old when she was allegedly forced to marry a Palestinian ISIS fighter and lured to Gaza.
After years of isolation from her family, the Iraqi woman, now 21, fled Gaza and returned home this week to an emotional welcome from her loved ones, reports said.
The Israeli military shared news of her release, saying her captor was “presumed killed during IDF attacks.”
This allowed Fawzia to flee to a hideout, they said, where she was rescued by Israeli special agents and international partners during a secret mission.
Fawzia Amin Sido is seen in a photo shared by Iraqi authorities after she returned home
A video has been shared showing Fawzia being reunited with her family after her escape
The young woman hugs loved ones after reportedly spending 10 years in captivity
Canadian Jewish philanthropist Steve Maman shared a heartwarming video in which he says Fawzia reunited with her family
“The young girl was taken from the Gaza Strip in recent days during a covert operation through the Kerem Shalom border crossing,” the IDF said in a statement.
“After entering Israel, she was taken to Jordan via the Allenby Crossing and then to her family in Iraq.”
Canadian Jewish philanthropist Steve Maman, dubbed by some as the “Jewish Schindler” for his efforts to rescue the Yazidis from ISIS captivity, shared a heartwarming video in which he said he reunited Fawzia with her family.
Sharing the news on Wednesday evening, he said he had been involved in her rescue and described it as “the hardest” he had ever taken part in.
“I promised Fawzia the Yazidi, who was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, that I would take her back home to her mother in Sinjar,” Maman wrote on X.
‘To her it seemed surreal and impossible, but not to me: my only enemy was time. Our team reunited her with her mother and family in Sinjar a few moments ago.”
Fawzia’s rescue is said to have been achieved after several failed attempts, as well as years of diplomatic discussions and planning.
Speaking to The Jewish Post, Maman said: “I have to thank the US government, my contacts in the US, Iraq, Jordan and Israel.
Steve Maman shared a photo of himself speaking to Fawzia after saying he was involved in her rescue
“I would also like to thank Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Biden and the US government, the UN, who helped by sending a secure ambulance, and everyone else involved in this operation.”
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry announced the news that Fawzia had been released in a statement, saying the operation was carried out “in high coordination” with the US embassies in Baghdad and Amman, as well as Jordanian authorities.
The statement said her rescue had taken four months of work, and made no mention of Israeli involvement.
Maman said Fawzia’s release is “a happy event” and that work continues to secure the release of many, including more than 100 Israeli hostages, still in the Gaza Strip.
