US-Palestinian teen freed after nine months in Israeli jail
A Palestinian American teenager who was detained without charge for nine months in Israel has been released.
Mohammed Ibrahim was 15 years old when he was arrested in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where he had gone on holiday from Florida in February, for allegedly throwing stones at Jewish settlers, which he had previously denied.
The US State Department said it welcomed the news of Mohammed’s release.
The BBC contacted Israeli officials but did not receive a response.
Relatives told the media that Mohammed, now 16, was hospitalized for treatment immediately after his release. They said he was pale, thin and suffering from conditions in captivity.
Mohammed’s uncle spoke of the family’s “tremendous relief” in a statement. Zeyad Kadur said the family had been living a “terrible and endless nightmare” for the past nine months.
“Right now, we are focused on getting Mohammed the urgent medical attention he needs after months of Israeli abuse and inhumane conditions. We just want Mohammed to be healthy and return to his childhood,” he said.
“Israeli soldiers had no right to take Mohammed away from us in the first place,” he added.
The State Department said it would continue to provide consular support to Mohammed’s family. “The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens,” the statement said.
Earlier this week, Mohammed’s father, Zahar Ibrahim, told the BBC he was disappointed that the US government had not taken action on the issue. He goes above and beyond to get his son out of prison..
Twenty-seven U.S. lawmakers signed a letter to the State Department and President Donald Trump demanding further efforts to secure his release.
Ibrahim, a father of four who runs an ice cream business in Florida, previously said his son only admitted to throwing stones because soldiers were beating him.
He had not seen or spoken to Mohammed since February and had only heard from court documents about what happened to him while in custody.
Mohammed was held without charge in Ofer prison in the West Bank. It is also home to adult prisoners, some of whom have been convicted of serious terrorist crimes and murder.
There are approximately 350 Palestinian child security detainees in Israeli prisons, according to the Israel Prison Service.
Many were never charged, and human rights groups and the United Nations say some were subjected to abuse and torture.
Following Mohammed’s release, Mr. Kadur said the family would also continue to fight for justice for his cousin, Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old dual U.S. citizen who the Palestinian Ministry of Health has named. Beaten to death by Israeli settlers during a conflict in July.
The Israeli military said at the time that authorities were investigating reports that a Palestinian civilian had been killed.
Muhammad and Sayfollah worked together at the family ice cream shop in Tampa, Florida. No one has been charged with Sayfollah’s murder.
“We expect the American government to protect our families,” Kadur said.
