A Palestinian woman whose son serves in the US Navy was recently evacuated from the Gaza Strip in a complex operation involving the Trump administration, Israeli and Jordanian authorities, and a US veterans organization, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing correspondence and individuals familiar with the matter.
Ahlam Firwana, 59, was reportedly evacuated following high-level diplomatic coordination. The operation included a temporary halt in Israeli air strikes to allow her safe movement, and required assistance from US and regional governments, as well as private actors.
Her son, Navy Petty Officer Younis Firwana, 32, became a US citizen in February 2024, on the day he completed Navy boot camp. Since then, he had worked to secure safe passage for his family, who remained in the Gaza Strip as the war intensified. In 2024, their seven-story home was destroyed in an air strike, and access to food and medicine became severely limited.
“There was a point, where they were eating birdseed,” Younis told The Washington Post.
Although US immigration officials approved his mother’s entry into the country, Firwana struggled to find a way to get her out of Gaza. Her passport reportedly had expired, and no escort was available to accompany her through the conflict zone. According to Younis, US officials told him there was nothing they could do.
In early September, he was connected with the Special Operations Association of America, a veterans organization that has supported over 1,000 evacuations from the Gaza Strip since the start of the war.
Alex Plitsas, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a member of the group, assembled a team to assist in the effort. That team also included retired US Army Col. Steve Gabavics, who previously served as chief of staff for the US Security Coordinator in Jerusalem.
Morgan Ortagus, former Trump administration deputy special envoy to the Middle East and a Navy reservist, connected the team with officials at the US Embassy in Amman. Messages reviewed by The Washington Post show that the National Security Council was also made aware of the planning.
'Jordanian embassy went above and beyond'
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, credited American diplomats in Jordan with playing a central role.
“The team at Embassy Jordan went above and beyond to help the mother of an American service member to get safely out of Gaza,” the official said. “This is an example of the heroic work our Foreign Service officers perform around the world every day.”
Gabavics coordinated with Israeli military and intelligence agencies, including the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and Mossad, to obtain the necessary clearances for the evacuation. Discussions with Israeli officials reportedly focused on ensuring that “they didn’t target her location” and on establishing “a security buffer around her” during the operation.
The Jordanian Embassy in Washington expedited her entry request. Jordanian Ambassador Dina Kawar said in a statement that her government was “glad to help facilitate” the effort and stressed that the operation was part of Jordan’s “continuous and broader humanitarian effort — not an exception.”
Initial plans to provide her with an Israeli escort were delayed due to paperwork issues. The veterans group contributed $10,000 to hire private ground transportation to take Firwana from her home in Gaza City to the Kerem Shalom crossing. However, a full evacuation order issued by Israel in mid-September, combined with deteriorating conditions and traffic congestion, forced a change of plans.
One of Firwana’s sons found a vehicle and began driving her toward the border. Roads were packed with others also attempting to flee. With the help of her daughter, she ultimately walked the final 14 km (nine miles) to the crossing. Surveillance assets tracked her route, and a temporary halt in air strikes allowed her to reach the border safely. The journey took 19 hours.
On September 17, Plitsas sent a message to a small group involved in the operation: “She’s out!”
Firwana is now in Jordan, awaiting processing of her US visa. Her son continues to seek evacuation for other family members, but said all applications, apart from his mother’s, have so far been denied.
Attorney Maria Kari, who represents Palestinian-American families seeking evacuation from Gaza but was not involved in the Firwana case, welcomed the outcome but raised concerns over the broader policy. One of her clients, Salsabeel Elhelou, a US citizen, has been unable to evacuate her three children from the Gaza Strip.
Emails reviewed by The Washington Post show that the US Embassy in Jerusalem cited “US national security” concerns in declining assistance.
Kari said the government has prioritized military families while neglecting others. “The US government has shown deference to military families while making it very clear that on a wholesale level, they don’t care about Palestinian lives, even when they are American Palestinian lives,” she said.
Younis Firwana said he appreciated the attention given to his mother’s case. “That means a lot, that these guys care about my family,” he said. “I’m not alone.” Still, he questioned why such a broad effort had been required in a case involving the parent of a US service member.
“The US,” he said, “should be doing more than this,” he told The Washington Post.