The Gaza conflict erupted in October 2023 and continues, resulting in over 67,000 Palestinian deaths and nearly 170,000 injured, mostly women and children. As fighting intensified, evacuation from Gaza became difficult, forcing many Palestinian-American citizens to arrange rescues for trapped relatives.

Among those was Navy Corporal Younis Firwana, 32. Through connections, Firwana arranged his mother, Ahlam Firwana, to be safely moved from the Gaza Strip to Jordan in a secret, elaborately planned rescue operation.

Palestinians evacuate northern Gaza on 30/9. Photo: AFP

Firwana joined the US military in 2023 and became a naturalized citizen in February 2024, on the day of his Navy basic training graduation. Firwana stated he was asked to stand under the Jordanian flag at the ceremony, "because the US does not recognize the flag of Palestine".

After the Gaza conflict began, Firwana's mother and six siblings living in the Strip faced danger and worsening shortages. Their family's seven-story home in Gaza City was leveled in airstrikes. Food and medicine became scarce. "They were so hungry they had to eat bird food to survive", Firwana recounted.

From his base in California, Firwana began arranging for his mother to leave Gaza for Jordan, submitting applications to expedite processing for his siblings. However, US officials only approved entry for 59-year-old Ahlam.

The serviceman faced another challenge: finding someone to escort his mother out of Gaza or help her renew her expired passport. Firwana stated that US officials told him they "could not help".

In early September, Firwana connected with the US Special Operations Association, an organization of veterans that has helped legally evacuate about 1,100 people from Gaza since the conflict began.

Younis Firwana, stationed in California, lives with his wife and children. Photo: Washington Post/Younis Firwana

Alex Plitsas, an association member and Atlantic Council scholar, assembled a team to assist the Firwana family. This included retired Colonel Steve Gabavics, chief of staff for the US Security Coordinator in Israel and the Palestinian Authority from 2001-2004.

Plitsas reached out to Morgan Ortagus, former Deputy Special Envoy for President Trump to the Middle East, for support. She connected him with officials at the US embassy in Amman, Jordan. Another team member informed the US National Security Council of the plan.

Colonel Gabavics stated he used his past connections, including within the Israeli military and Israeli intelligence agencies like Shin Bet and Mossad, to ensure Ahlam was facilitated to leave Gaza. According to Gabavics, discussions with the Israeli side focused on ensuring Tel Aviv would not target Ahlam's location during the rescue. They also aimed to establish "a security buffer" around Ahlam so the evacuation team would not be affected by the fighting.

Meanwhile, the Jordanian embassy in Washington quickly approved Ahlam's entry into Jordan. Ambassador Dina Kawar stated that the Jordanian government was "pleased to facilitate" Ahlam's departure from Gaza, and this action was "part of Amman's overall humanitarian efforts, not an exception".

Location of the Kerem Shalom crossing, Gaza. Graphic: BBC

Ben Clay, a former US Army special forces veteran, led the evacuation operation. Clay used an application he developed to identify the safest route for the operation.

Initially, Israeli forces were also to escort Ahlam, but this could not happen due to paperwork delays. The veteran group decided to donate 10,000 USD to hire a car to transport Ahlam from Gaza City to the Kerem Shalom crossing, southeast Gaza.

However, in mid-September, Israel unexpectedly requested all Gaza City residents evacuate to intensify attacks against Hamas forces in the city, canceling the plan to transport Ahlam to the crossing. In this dire situation, one of Ahlam's sons eventually found a car and began driving his mother toward the Kerem Shalom crossing.

They could not travel far as roads were crowded with evacuees. Ahlam's daughter then helped her mother walk the final 14 km. They received aerial protection from surveillance equipment, and Israel temporarily halted airstrikes. The entire journey lasted 19 hours.

On 17/9, Plitsas sent the rescue team a brief message: "She's fine!"

Ahlam is currently in Jordan, awaiting visa renewal. Firwana wants to help the rest of his family leave Gaza quickly but must follow proper procedures. The serviceman questioned why his mother's evacuation required such extensive intervention, given that the US previously had policies to support humanitarian resettlement from war zones, including Ukraine and Afghanistan.

"The US government should have done more than this", Firwana said.

Ahlam Firwana smiles in a photo taken days after her arrival in Jordan. Photo: Washington Post

Maria Kari, an attorney representing Palestinian-American families, welcomed the effort to rescue Ahlam but noted it raised questions about other cases still trapped in Gaza. Among these is Salsabeel Elhelou, a US citizen seeking to evacuate her three children from the Strip.

According to the Washington Post, the US embassy in Jerusalem cited national security reasons and visa procedure concerns for refusing to assist Elhelou's children. "The US government clearly prioritizes military family members and shows no concern for the lives of other Palestinians, even if they hold US citizenship", Kari stated.

Nhu Tam (According to Washington Post, New York Post, AFP)