Israel frees Yazidi woman who was held captive by ISIS-affiliated Hamas terrorist in Gaza for 10 years

In 2014, ISIS terrorists kidnapped an 11-year-old Yazidi girl from her home in Sinjar, Iraq, and trafficked her to a Hamas terrorist affiliated with ISIS in Gaza, where she was forced to marry him and tortured by his family. "M," now 21, was separated from her family for 10 years. Recently, she was rescued in a complex operation by the Israeli military, according an IDF statement on Thursday.

Israel Defense Forces announced that the “terrorist who had been holding her” was eliminated in an Israeli aerial strike, allowing M to flee. The Israeli military confirmed that the troops eventually rescued the young woman, who has now been reunited with her family in Iraq.

“The young girl was extracted from the Gaza Strip in recent days in a secret operation through the Kerem Shalom crossing. After crossing into Israel, she was taken to Jordan via the Allenby Crossing and then on to her family in Iraq,” the IDF stated.

Steven Maman, a Canadian-Jewish businessman, known as “The Jewish Schindler” for rescuing thousands of Yazidis who were abducted by ISIS terrorists, spoke to The Jerusalem Post about his role in M's rescue.

“I’m feeling tired; this has been the most difficult rescue that I’ve ever taken part in. Many interactions were critical and hurtful, but the success of the mission is what heals you from these attacks. This, for me, is a ray of light. M. has a chance to rebuild her life. She was 11 years old when they took her, and no child chooses at that age to become a hostage at the hands of ISIS-Hamas,” Mamam said.

He emphasized the importance of saving human lives, regardless of their origin or background.

“This is what I would’ve done for anyone else, regardless of their religion, and this is what makes us special as Jews – we are able to look beyond the dry politics of a national who’s technically from a country that hates us and see the human aspect of life. We’re willing to help all people succeed,” he stated.

Maman said he was grateful for the assistance he received from the United States, Israel and other governments in the rescue operation.

"I must thank the US government, my contacts in the US, Iraq, Jordan, and Israel. I also want to thank Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Biden and the US administration, the UN, who helped by sending a secured ambulance, and everyone else who was involved in this operation. This is a happy occasion, but I can’t say I can celebrate wholeheartedly because I still have over 100 brothers and sisters sitting in dire situations in Gaza, and I will continue to act for their return in whichever way I can.” 

Yazidis are a Kurdish-speaking indigenous Middle Eastern minority that has been subjected to many persecutions in Iraq and beyond.

In April 2021, a two-month-old Yazidi girl, Hena, arrived in Israel with her uncle to receive a life-saving heart surgery at the Sheba Medical Center, near Tel Aviv.

Hena’s father expressed his gratitude that the Jewish state had saved his daughter’s life.

“When she arrived at the hospital in Tel Aviv we rejoiced,” the father said from a refugee camp in Iraq that lacked advanced medical equipment.

“We are grateful to the State of Israel for helping us in these difficult circumstances,” he added. “We thank you, truly. For us, as Hena’s family, this is an enormous happiness,” the father added.