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IDF Rescues Fawzia, Yazidi Woman Kidnapped at 11, Held in Gaza for Ten Years

Oct 3, 2024, 02:11 AM

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have rescued Fawzia, a 21-year-old Yazidi woman who had been held captive in Gaza for ten years. Kidnapped at age 11 during the 2014 Sinjar massacre in Iraq by ISIS militants, she was sold to a Palestinian ISIS member who was also affiliated with Hamas. Forced to marry him, Fawzia was taken to Gaza, where she gave birth to two of his children and was held captive by his family. After ten years, she has been freed by Israeli security forces and reunited with her family in Sinjar, Iraq. The rescue operation was facilitated with the help of Jewish philanthropist Steve Maman, who works to free Yazidi girls from captivity. Reports suggest that other Yazidi girls kidnapped by ISIS may also be held in Gaza.