Yazidi Woman Freed from Gaza After a Decade in Captivity, Reports Reuters

By Timour Azhari

BEIRUT – A 21-year-old woman who was kidnapped by Islamic State militants in Iraq a decade ago has been rescued from Gaza in a covert operation involving multiple nations, including Israel, the United States, and Iraq, officials have reported.

The woman is a member of the Yazidi community, a religious minority predominantly located in Iraq and Syria. This group suffered immensely during the Islamic State’s brutal campaign in 2014, which the United Nations has classified as genocide, resulting in over 5,000 deaths and countless abductions.

Her rescue came after more than four months of complex negotiations and operations, many of which faced setbacks due to the volatile security situation in Gaza. Silwan Sinjaree, chief of staff for Iraq’s foreign minister, explained that various attempts at rescue were hindered during Israel’s military actions in the region.

The woman, identified as Fawzia Sido, was not reachable for comment, but Iraqi officials stated she was resting after being reunited with her family in northern Iraq. For months, Iraqi authorities maintained contact with her and provided information to U.S. officials, who facilitated her departure from Gaza with Israel’s assistance.

Despite the ongoing tension, Iraqi and Israeli officials have no formal diplomatic relations. The Israeli military confirmed it cooperated with the U.S. Embassy and other international partners for the operation to rescue Sido. According to their statement, her captor was killed during the conflict in Gaza, presumably by an Israeli strike, which allowed her to escape to a safe location within the territory.

Details revealed that the operation led to her being rescued and transported through the Kerem Shalom Crossing into Israel, from where she proceeded to Jordan via the Allenby Bridge before reuniting with her family in Iraq.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department indicated that the government assisted in the safe evacuation of the young Yazidi woman so she could return to her homeland. They noted that Sido had been abducted from her home in Iraq at the age of 11 and subsequently trafficked to Gaza. With her captor’s death, she was finally able to flee and seek repatriation.

Regarding her condition, Sinjaree mentioned that she appeared to be in good health but was deeply traumatized by her captivity and the harsh humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had closely monitored the situation, discussing the matter with U.S. officials during the recent U.N. General Assembly in New York.

In total, more than 6,000 Yazidis were taken captive during the Islamic State’s incursion into the Sinjar region in 2014. Many of them were subjected to sexual slavery or conscripted as child soldiers, being trafficked across international borders, including to Turkey and Syria.

Over the years, Iraqi authorities have reported the rescue or release of more than 3,500 Yazidis, while approximately 2,600 individuals remain unaccounted for. Although many are feared dead, Yazidi activists hold out hope that hundreds might still be alive.