- October 4, 2025
- 2:04 pm
- Middle East
This week, the 17-year-old Ukrainian Samira was successfully evacuated from the Gaza Strip. According to media reports, her return to her mother was made possible through the efforts of Ukraine’s ambassador, Yevhen Korniychuk.
Complex Family History
Several years ago, in 2013, Elena Yelmina’s former husband, a Palestinian citizen, took their three children to the Gaza Strip under the pretext of saying goodbye to their sick grandparents. Once there, he did not intend to return the children to their mother. Elena fought for the right to get her children back, winning court cases at all levels, including international ones. However, the court decisions were not enforced in Gaza.
The situation of hopeless waiting changed against the backdrop of the October events. After the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, violence flared up again among the population of Gaza. In extremely difficult conditions, the desperate former husband agreed to return the children, whom he could no longer feed.
Conclusion on the Return of the Children
Thanks to the slow but steady work of Ukrainian diplomats, on January 10, the three children – Jamal, Ahmed, and Samira Alabadla – were included in the evacuation list. According to the publication, Israeli and Egyptian military intelligence thoroughly checked all the names on the list and confirmed permission for departure.
We wrote about this –
Unexpected Turns
However, just before the departure date, the father changed his mind about letting his daughter and sons go. In mid-August 2025, Elena received a letter from the Ukrainian embassy in Israel asking her to list everyone who wanted to leave Gaza, giving hope for resolving this difficult situation.
Final Evacuation
On September 29, 2025, Samira finally set off to join her mother and brothers. On that day, 57 people were also evacuated from Gaza, as reported by the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel.
