Just under 10 years ago, Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq kidnapped an 11 year old Yazidi girl. They reportedly then sold her to a Hamas member, where she has remained in captivity ever since.
Starting in August 2014, ISIS forces swept through the Sinjar region of northern Iraq, home to many Yazidis. Thousands of Yazidi women and girls, some as young as 9 years old, were kidnapped by ISIS fighters. The captives were treated as "spoils of war" and forced into sexual slavery, with many being sold or gifted to ISIS fighters. Although some women managed to escape, many remained in captivity and some are still missing to this day.
Along with the United States, Jordan, and other international partners, the IDF successfully rescued the now 21 year old woman. They brought her to the Kerem Shalom crossing. From there she went to Jordan before finally being reunited with her family in Iraq.
Although the woman is reportedly physically unharmed, she is highly traumatized from her lengthy captivity.
