World
October 4, 2024 13:30
gaza strip - Yazidi woman, Fawzia Amin Sido, was rescued from the Gaza Strip after being held captive for more than ten years by the family of a Palestinian ISIS fighter she was forced to marry at the age of eleven.
Yazidi woman Fawzia (21) successfully escaped from captivity after her captor and another ISIS terrorist were killed. Fawzia Amin Sido, a 21-year-old Yazidi girl, was finally liberated from the Gaza Strip after being held by the family of a Palestinian ISIS fighter, whom she was forced to marry at the age of eleven.
The Israeli army shared the news of her release on Thursday. The man who kept Fawzia captive was likely killed during an airstrike, allowing her to escape. 'She was ultimately rescued from the Gaza Strip during an Israeli mission in collaboration with international partner countries,' they stated.
Social media was flooded with images of the emotional reunion with her family, shared by Steve Mamman, a Canadian philanthropist dedicated to rescuing Yazidis from the clutches of ISIS.
Yazidis are a religious and ethnic Kurdish minority, predominantly living in Northern Iraq. In 2014, nearly 6000 Yazidis were captured by the Islamic State in the Iraqi region of Sinjar. Many of them were later sold as sex slaves or trained as child soldiers.
Mamman had shared Fawzia's story with The Jerusalem Post back in September. Fawzia was 'sold off' in the Syrian city of Raqqa, once the capital of the ISIS caliphate between 2014 and 2017. The then 11-year-old girl was forced into marriage with a Palestinian ISIS fighter who subsequently abused her.
At a tender age, Fawzia bore two children with the man. The family resided on the Syria-Iraq border until 2020 when Fawzia's husband died after six years of marriage, and she was taken to the Gaza Strip by his family. It was only recently, after one of the men holding her captive, also an ISIS fighter, perished in an airstrike, that she managed to flee. The fate of her children remains unknown.
Proceed reading below the 'X' message.
After her escape, the woman managed to acquire a cellphone through which she recorded a video shared on TikTok. The video reached her own family through the local news outlet Rudaw News, prompting them to seek Mamman's help. With the assistance of his contacts in the region, he provided Fawzia with a mobile number and ensured her safety in a safehouse.
Ultimately, Fawzia was rescued from that safehouse during a mission coordinated by the Israeli army. 'The young woman was evacuated from the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom crossing. From Israel, she was taken to Jordan and then back to her family in Iraq,' stated the Israeli army.
Mamman expressed that the rescue mission for Fawzia was the toughest he had ever partaken in. In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, he stated that the successful rescue was evidence that anything is possible. 'Fawzia now has the chance to rebuild her life.'
In his interview with The Jerusalem Post, Mamman extended his gratitude to his associates in the United States, Iraq, Jordan, and Israel. 'I also want to thank the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US President Joe Biden.'
The Iraq Ministry of Foreign Affairs also released a statement announcing the woman's liberation, without mentioning Israel's involvement.
Iraq's Chief of Staff, Silwan Sinjaree, informed Reuters that the mission took four months involving all countries and was made challenging due to the 'unstable situation in Gaza caused by the Israeli military offensive.' Fawzia is reported to be in good health but traumatized by her abduction. She has since returned to Iraq.
According to the Iraqi government, over 3500 abducted Yazidis have been rescued to date, with about 2600 people still missing. IS launched a mass persecution against Yazidis in 2014, considering them 'apostates' and 'devil worshippers.' Thousands of men were killed and buried in mass graves, leading to nearly half a million Yazidis fleeing their homes. Some Yazidis perished in the mountains due to lack of food, water, or medical assistance.
The UN has recognized the actions of ISIS in 2014 and 2015 as genocide.