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Palestinian American Teen Freed From Israeli Detention After Nine Months

Intense U.S. advocacy preceded the release, prompting fresh calls for a public accounting of his treatment.

Overview

  • The U.S. State Department confirmed that 16-year-old Mohammed Ibrahim was released this week after being held since February in Israel.
  • His family says the release followed a guilty plea with a suspended sentence and that they learned details largely through U.S. officials.
  • Relatives report he lost significant weight, contracted scabies, and was taken to a hospital immediately after reunification for evaluation.
  • He was arrested at age 15 during a night raid in the West Bank on charges of throwing objects at vehicles, with family and advocates alleging abuse, coerced confession, and denial of family contact.
  • More than 100 groups and 27 U.S. lawmakers pressed for action, and rights groups note hundreds of Palestinian minors are prosecuted in Israeli military courts, with DCI-P counting about 350 in detention as of September.