US-Palestinian teen freed after nine months in Israeli jail

A Palestinian-American teenager who spent nine months in Israeli custody without charge has been released.

Mohammed Ibrahim was 15 when he was arrested in February in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where he was vacationing from Florida, 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 authorities but did not receive a response.

Mohammed, now 16, was taken to hospital for treatment immediately after his release, his relatives told media. They said he was pale, underweight and suffering from conditions contracted in captivity.

In a statement, Mohammed’s uncle spoke of the family’s “immense relief”. Zeyad Kadur said the family had “lived a horrible, never-ending nightmare” for the past nine months.

“Right now, we are working to get Mohammed the immediate medical care he needs after being subjected to months of abuse and inhumane conditions in Israel. We just want Mohammed to be healthy and have his childhood back,” he said.

“The Israeli soldiers had no right to take Mohammed 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 American citizens,” it added.

Earlier this week, Mohammed’s father, Zahar Ibrahim, told the BBC he was frustrated the US government was not doing more to get his son out of prison.

Twenty-seven U.S. lawmakers signed a letter to the State Department and President Donald Trump, demanding more be done to free him.

Mr. Ibrahim, a father of four who runs an ice cream business in Florida, previously said his son only confessed to throwing stones because the soldiers beat him.

He had not seen or spoken to Mohammed since February and only learned about what happened to him in detention through court documents.

Mohammed was held without charge in Ofer prison in the West Bank. It also houses adult prisoners, some of whom have been convicted of serious terrorist offenses and murder.

According to the Israeli Prison Service, approximately 350 Palestinian children are detained in Israeli prisons.

Many have never been charged and human rights groups, as well as the United Nations, say some have been victims of abuse and torture.

After 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, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, was beaten to death by Israeli settlers during a clash in July.

At the time, the Israeli military said authorities were investigating reports that a Palestinian civilian had been killed.

Mohammed and Sayfollah had worked together in the family’s ice cream shop in Tampa, Florida. No one has been charged with Sayfollah’s murder.

“We expect the U.S. government to protect our families,” Mr. Kadur said.