Fawzia Amin Sido, a young Yazidi woman who was kidnapped by ISIS at just 11 years old, has been rescued from Hamas after nearly a decade in captivity, Israeli officials reported Thursday. The 21-year-old was freed earlier this week during a months-long operation led by the United States and has since reunited with her family in Iraq. A heartwarming video of their emotional reunion quickly went viral.
A Journey of Survival
According to David Saranga, director of the digital diplomacy bureau at Israel’s foreign ministry, Fawzia was abducted from her home in Iraq during a horrific campaign by ISIS in 2014, which saw over 5,000 Yazidi people killed and thousands more kidnapped. After being taken by ISIS, she was trafficked to Gaza, where she remained captive for the next ten years.
WATCH THE VIRAL VIDEO OF RESCUE:
𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐚𝐳𝐚, 𝐚 𝟐𝟏-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐘𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐝𝐢 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐒 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫… https://t.co/zDDFgjrNAv pic.twitter.com/5e2zkqgvcI
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) October 3, 2024
“Fawzia, a Yazidi girl kidnapped by ISIS from Iraq and brought to Gaza at just 11 years old, has finally been rescued by the Israeli security forces,” Saranga shared on X (formerly Twitter). “For years, she was held captive by a Palestinian Hamas-ISIS member. She has now been reunited with her family.”
The Cost of Captivity
Though Fawzia was found in good physical condition, Iraqi officials noted that she is traumatized by her lengthy ordeal. The rescue operation, which spanned over four months, faced several setbacks due to the challenging security situation created by Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
Silwan Sinjaree, chief of staff for Iraq’s foreign minister, confirmed the complexities involved in the rescue attempts. “We had several attempts that failed due to the difficult security situation,” he explained, underscoring the precarious nature of the operation.
The Impact of Fawzia’s Story
Fawzia’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the brutal reality faced by Yazidi children who have been forcibly taken from their families. Her experiences reflect the ongoing plight of many individuals from minority communities in conflict zones, particularly those affected by the actions of extremist groups like ISIS.
As the world watches her journey unfold, Fawzia’s rescue brings hope and highlights the resilience of those who survive unimaginable circumstances.
