West Bank: American child released from Israeli prison

The Israeli occupation regime has released 16yo Palestinian-American Mohammed Ibrahim after abducting him in the occupied West Bank. Israel held him in ‘administrative detention’ for more than nine months without charge. Ibrahim is one of hundreds of children held captive by Israel in military prisons. This situation did not start with the genocide in Gaza — 500-700 Palestinian children were abducted by Israel every year long before it began its wholesale slaughter, torture and ethnic cleansing in the Strip.

Justice activists say that the boy’s story typifies Israeli abuses against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, as well as the impunity of the colony. It also highlights the indifference of the US government to Israel’s abuse, even when it comes to its own citizens. His release today came after months of relentless pressure. This includes appeals from civil rights groups and a small group of US lawmakers.

Mohammed was 15 years old when he was taken from his family’s home near Ramallah. His detention has devastated his health, with infections, poor diet and unsanitary conditions causing skin infections and drastic weight loss. His family said his release was an indescribable relief:

Words can’t describe the immense relief we have as a family right now, to have Mohammed in his parents’ arms. We couldn’t believe Mohammed was free until his parents wrapped their arms around him and felt him safe.

Israel claimed that Mohammed was arrested for throwing rocks at Israeli settlers, which he and his family have denied. Israeli forces are well known to protect violent settlers as they attack, and often kill, peaceful Palestinians. According to the UN’s Office of Humanitarian Affairs, in just 8 months of 2023, settlers killed 189 Palestinians in the West Bank and wounded almost 8,200.

West Bank children are blindfolded and beaten

Mohammed’s father Zaher Ibrahim told Al Jazeera earlier this year that his son was blindfolded and beaten during the raid on the family home in February. Israeli authorities did not allow him any visits, or even any kind of contact with his family during his detention. US officials were granted some access, but Trump was non-responsive to the family’s appeals for his personal intervention to get the boy released. Or at least ensure proper treatment.

In a statement after his release, Mohammed’s uncle Zeyad Kadur said:

Israeli soldiers had no right to take Mohammed from us in the first place. For more than 9 months, our family has been living a horrific and endless nightmare, particularly Mohammed’s mother and father, who haven’t been able to see or touch their youngest child for nearly a year, all while knowing Israeli soldiers were beating him and starving him.

No mother, father, parent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, or child should ever have to go through what Mohammed just went through.

The family said it was planning to celebrate Mohammed’s freedom with a late 16th birthday party and his favourite food.

Featured image via Instagram screenshot