Who Is Mohammed Ibrahim, the Palestinian-American Boy Held in Harsh Conditions in Israeli Prison for 8 Months?

Occupied Palestine (QNN)- There have been growing calls for the release of Mohammed Ibrahim, a Palestinian-American teenager detained by Israel since February. He is being held in dire conditions, with his family warning that his life may be at risk.

Who’s Mohammed Ibrahim?

Mohammed Zaher Taysir Ibrahim is a 16-year-old Palestinian-American boy with his family based in Florida and the occupied West Bank.

When Was Mohammed Arrested?

Israeli soldiers raided Mohammed’s family home on February 15. According to relatives, Mohammed was visiting from Florida for vacation.

How Was He Arrested?

During his arrest, Israeli forces bound his hands behind his back and blindfolded him, then transported him to Ofer military camp for interrogation. Israeli forces beat him with the butts of rifles during the transport, according to DCIP on Tuesday.

Where Is Mohammed Now?

He is currently held in Ofer prison.

What Did He Say?

A DCIP lawyer interviewed him about his experience in September, after spending several months in Megiddo prison, located in northern Israel: “[My] section consists of 19 rooms, each equipped with four bunk beds. In each room, eight children occupy the beds, while the remaining children sleep on mattresses on the floor. The mattresses, whether on the beds or on the floor, are extremely light and inadequate. Each prisoner receives two blankets, yet we still feel cold at night. There is no heating or cooling system in the rooms. The only items present are mattresses, blankets, and a single copy of the Quran in each room.”

Mohammed continued, describing the meager meals that are fed to Palestinian prisoners by Israeli guards.

“The meals we receive are extremely insufficient,” he said. “For breakfast, we are served just three tiny pieces of bread along with a mere spoonful of labneh. At lunch, our portion is minimal, consisting of only half a small cup of undercooked, dry rice, a single sausage, and three small pieces of bread. Dinner is not provided, and we receive no fruit whatsoever.”

“Occasionally, we might get a small cucumber and a tiny tomato with some meals, but this is not guaranteed. There are no desserts of any kind; we only receive a small spoonful of jam every two or three days. Sometimes, we are offered only light tea, which tastes more like hot water and is served without sugar.”

“In terms of hygiene and bathing, we are permitted to go outside to the yard once a day, around 9 a.m., for a duration of 40 minutes,” Mohammed told DCIP.

“Prisoners from every three rooms are allowed to go out simultaneously. This time is meant for showering, but there are only six showers available, meaning not all prisoners can utilize this time for a shower. When we shower, we have access to shampoo, but it lacks foam and fragrance. Each month, we shave our heads down to zero with a razor, but shaving our beards is prohibited.”

Mohammed has lost a considerable amount of weight due to the deliberate lack of adequate food provided to Palestinian detainees. He also dealt with a scabies infestation, which is increasingly common in Israeli prisons due to the overcrowding, lack of hygiene access, and medical neglect.

Why Did Israeli Forces Arrest Him?

Mohammed is charged with throwing stones at Israeli vehicles, the charge faced by the majority of Palestinian child detainees arrested by Israeli forces. If convicted, the sentence can be as long as 20 years in prison. The boy denied the accusation.

Growing Demands for Mohammad’s Release

According to family members, the Palestinian-American teenager spent his 16th birthday this past March in an Israeli jail, despite mounting calls for his release.

Congress members and rights groups have urged Trump to push for Mohammed’s freedom.

On Tuesday, more than 100 advocacy groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), IfNotNow, A New Policy and Pax Christi USA, sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling for Mohammed’s release.

“For 6 months, the Israeli military has unjustly imprisoned Mohammed, a child, without a trial, forcing his parents to live a non-stop nightmare. Israel has not allowed Mohammed’s parents to contact him since he was taken,” the letter said.

“Mohammed is an American child with a community in Florida who cares about him deeply. It is the responsibility of the US government to protect all American children, including Palestinian-Americans.”

A US representative from a district near Mohammed’s Florida home has also gotten involved in the push for his freedom. On Tuesday, Congresswoman Kathy Castor, who represents an area that includes the city of Tampa, called for his safe release.

“I urge the Trump Administration to do everything in its power to obtain the release of Mohammed Ibrahim — a child, an American citizen and a Floridian,” Castor said in a statement, without mentioning Israel.

Mohammed’s family, who has warned that his life may be at risk, has intensified its campaign for the boy’s release. In September, relatives joined other families of Americans killed or detained by Israeli forces or settlers in a series of high-profile meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Mohammed is also the cousin of 20-year-old Sayfollah Musallet, an American citizen who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in July in the village of Sinjil in the occupied West Bank.

“Right now, Mohammed Ibrahim, a U.S. citizen, is being held in an Israeli prison,” Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts wrote on X.

This week, a US-wide coalition, comprising a diverse range of activists, distributed more than 2,000 flyers at the “No King” protests across six US states, urging people to contact their representatives and demand the release of Ibrahim.

The family has a court date set for 29 October. Mohammed’s lawyer said extra pressure from the US embassy could help secure Mohammed’s release during his upcoming court date. He could possibly be released on the condition that he not return to the occupied West Bank for at least a year.

Mohammed’s father said he feels abandoned by the US government. He said America’s policy of ‘America First’ may apply in other countries, but it did not seem to apply in Israel.

“You have a little kid in jail. Where’s your America First?” He said.

Zeyad Kadur, Mohammed’s uncle, drew a contrast between the teenager’s ongoing detention and the case of Israeli official Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, who was released on bond in the US and allowed to leave the country despite facing serious child sex crimes.

“Mohammed is accused of allegedly throwing a rock; an Israeli was arrested on paedophile charges in Las Vegas, and he flew back to Israel,” Kadur told Al Jazeera.

“Not even an American passport can protect Palestinian children,” said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, accountability program director at DCIP.

“Despite his family’s advocacy in Congress and involvement of the U.S. embassy, Mohammed remains in Israeli prison. Israel is the only country in the world that systematically prosecutes children in military court. Despite obligations under U.S. and international law, the American government either doesn’t have the will or the power to help Mohammad, and continues to send Israel weapons with no restrictions.”

Pro-Palestine advocates have also taken to social media, demanding the immediate release of Mohammed, the “American child.”

More than two dozen US lawmakers also signed a letter calling on Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee to secure the release of Mohammed Ibrahim.

“We are concerned about reports of the mistreatment of Palestinians in Israeli detention facilities and prisons, including both of the prisons that have held Mohammed,” said the letter signed by 27 members of Congress.

“As we have been told repeatedly, ‘The Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens abroad,’” it added. “We share that view and urge you to fulfil this responsibility by engaging the Israeli government directly to secure the swift release of this American boy.”

In a separate statement, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on the Trump administration to force Israel to free the Palestinian American boy.

“The abuse and imprisonment of an American teenager by any other foreign power would be met with outrage and decisive action by our government,” CAIR’s Hiba Rahim said in a statement.

“The Trump administration must be America and American citizens first and secure the release of Mohammad Ibrahim from Israel immediately. This 16-year-old from Florida belongs at home, safe with his family – not in Israeli military prisons notorious for human rights abuses.”