Iraq Yazidi woman kidnapped by IS in 2014 rescued from the Gaza Strip
A Yazidi woman kidnapped by the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) in Iraq in 2014 has been rescued from the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli reports.
03.10.2024, 20:42
SDA
The woman was abducted ten years ago at the age of eleven and was last held by a Palestinian in the Gaza Strip, the head of the digital department of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, David Saranga, announced on X. Security forces had rescued the Yazidi. She has since been reunited with her family.
Footage circulated in Israeli media is said to show the woman embracing her relatives after returning home.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry confirmed the rescue of the 21-year-old. She had been freed after more than four months of efforts and in close coordination with the US embassies in Baghdad and Amman as well as Jordanian authorities. The abductee had been transported "through several countries" before her release. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry did not provide any further details.
Iraq does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. Iraqis are prohibited from having any contact with Israelis. According to Israeli media, complicated and lengthy diplomatic procedures led to the young woman being able to leave the Gaza Strip and travel on to Iraq.
The Israeli newspaper "Jerusalem Post" had already reported on the woman's fate in September. She was allegedly forced to marry a Palestinian IS fighter in Rakka, Syria, who is also said to have links to Hamas. According to the report, the woman was sexually abused during her years in captivity. According to the report, her husband is already dead.
A Palestinian who was holding the Yazidi woman in her husband's family home was killed in an Israeli airstrike. The Yazidi woman then got herself a cell phone and posted her story online. Since then, helpers have been working to organize her departure. According to the newspaper, the woman is said to have two children. It was initially unclear what had become of them.
In August 2014, IS attacked the Sinjar region and captured thousands of Yazidi women to abuse them as sex slaves. Although the Iraqi government announced victory over IS, activists say many women are still missing.
