The operation launched in Hol Camp by the Internal Security Forces, the Women’s Security Forces, the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against the mercenaries of the Islamic State (ISIS) is ongoing. Thanks to the determined intervention of the Internal Security Forces, the operation is being conducted with close attention to humanitarian considerations. The participating forces are fulfilling a critical responsibility, especially in terms of social sensitivity and the protection of women’s and children’s rights. The ongoing operation aims to ensure the overall security of the region and to put an end to ISIS’s ability to organize within the camp.

In this operation, the YPJ have assumed the most significant and vital role. The YPJ works to protect all women and children in Hol Camp, successfully shielding them from threats. It also carries out its security duties in coordination with the Internal Security Forces and the SDF. During times when camp administration weakened, incidents of violence against women increased. The YPJ actively intervenes in such situations, working to prevent further violence. Residents of Hol Camp view the YPJ’s moral stance and humanitarian approach as a model to follow. Despite the harsh conditions, the YPJ has demonstrated its ability to lead society and provide protection to the people with strength and compassion.

Hiba al-Ali and Nada Abd al-Halim, two women living in Hol Camp, spoke to ANF about the ongoing operation.

The greatest demand among women is to return to a normal life

Hiba al-Ali stated that some women living in the section of the camp known as "Al-Suriyat (El Sûriyat)" have been carrying out extremely dangerous and secret activities. She said: “We are afraid of certain parts of this camp because they pose serious threats. We are forced to live in a strict structure shaped by those who still believe in the ISIS ideology. They push us to remain under this way of thinking. But when the operation began, we were truly happy. For the first time, we not only stopped feeling alone but also realized that there are forces that can protect us from this ideology.”

Nada Abd al-Halim, who said “We were stuck in an organized system, but more and more women have started to see the truth,” added: “The pressure is no longer as strong as it once was, and now people are beginning to see the reality. Eventually, we realized that everything we had been told was a lie, and it was all a trap to recruit us into a terrorist organization. Once the operation began, many hidden things were exposed. We saw how dangerous our environment really was, and this operation became absolutely necessary, for our protection and the safety of our children.”

 The greatest demand of women living in Hol Camp is to return to their normal lives outside the camp. They continue to live under extremely harsh conditions and want nothing more than to return to their homes.