🔗 Share this article

Zaher Ibrahim

A American-Palestinian youth who spent nine months in Israel's custody absent formal charges has been freed.

The teenager Mohammed Ibrahim was 15 during his detention last February in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where he was visiting on holiday from Florida under suspicion of rock throwing at Jewish settlers, which he previously denied.

United States authorities said it welcomed Mohammed's liberation.

Currently aged sixteen, required hospitalization for treatment immediately after release, according to close relatives.

They said he is showing signs of malnutrition, and experiencing medical problems developed during imprisonment.

In a statement, family spokesperson spoke of the family's "tremendous relief".

Family member Zeyad Kadur described how relatives endured "enduring a dreadful, continuous nightmare" throughout the past nine months.

"Currently, we're concentrating on getting Mohammed prompt healthcare he requires after experiencing harsh conditions and brutal treatment for months."

US officials announced ongoing to extend consular services to Mohammed's family.

{"American leadership has no higher priority to ensuring the safety for United States citizens"," the department emphasized.

Several congressional representatives had signed a letter to US authorities and the administration, requesting additional efforts for his freedom.

Mr Ibrahim, parent of four children operating an ice cream shop based in Tampa, previously said his child admitted guilt regarding stone throwing due to physical abuse.

There were no visits or communicated with his son following the detention, and only heard what had happened to him through judicial records.

He stayed without charge within Ofer penitentiary on the West Bank.

The facility also contains grown detainees, some of whom have been convicted of serious terrorism offences and murder.

An estimated several hundred young Palestinian detainees being held in Israeli jails, based on prison authority data.

Several lack formal charges and human rights groups, including UN bodies, document cases involving physical abuse and torture.

Following Mohammed's release, Mr Kadur said relatives would persist in advocating demanding accountability for their family member Sayfollah Musallet.

The 20-year-old dual US citizen according to health authorities succumbed to assault by settlement residents amid clashes last July.

At the time, the Israeli military said they were examining reports a Palestinian civilian had been killed.

The two cousins collaborated at their family's ice cream business in Tampa, Florida.

No charges have been filed regarding Sayfollah's death.

"We demand the American government to ensure our family's safety," the uncle stated.