Palestinian American teen released from Israeli jail after serving nine months

A Palestinian-American teenager who was detained by Israel for nine months without charge has been released.

Mohammed Ibrahim was 15 when he was arrested in February in the Israeli-occupied West Bank while on vacation from Florida on suspicion of throwing rocks at Jewish settlers, which he had previously denied.

The U.S. State Department said it welcomed news of Mohammed’s release.

The BBC has contacted the Israeli authorities but has yet to receive a reply.

Relatives told the media that Mohammed, now 16, was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment after being discharged from the hospital. They said he was pale, underweight and suffered from captivity conditions.

Mohammed’s uncle said in a statement that the family was “overwhelmed with relief.” Zeyad Kadur said the family had been “living a horrific and endless nightmare” for the past nine months.

“Right now, our focus is on getting Mohamed the immediate medical care he needs after months of abuse and inhumane conditions at the hands of Israel. We just want Mohamed to be healthy and regain his childhood,” he said.

“Israeli soldiers had no right to take Muhammad from us in the first place,” he added.

The U.S. State Department said it would continue to provide consular support to Mohammed’s family. “The Trump administration’s top priority is the safety of American citizens,” the statement added.

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

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

Ibrahim, a father of four who runs an ice cream shop in Florida, has previously said his son only admitted to throwing stones because soldiers beat him.

He has not seen or spoken to Mohammed since February and has only heard about what happened to him in custody through court documents.

Mohammed is being held in Ofer prison in the West Bank without charge. It is also home to adult prisoners, some of whom have been convicted of serious terrorism offenses and murder.

According to the Israel Prison Service, there are approximately 350 Palestinian child security detainees held in Israeli prisons.

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

After Mohammed’s release, Mr Kadour said the family would also continue to fight for justice for his cousin Sayfollah Musallet. Sayfollah Musallet is a 20-year-old dual U.S. citizen, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Beaten to death by Israeli settlers during a confrontation in July.

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

Muhammad and Saifola worked at the family’s ice cream shop in Tampa, Florida. No one has been charged in Sayfollah’s killing.

“We want the U.S. government to protect our families,” Mr. Kadour said.