Family of US teen Mohammed Ibrahim, detained by Israel, demands action from Washington

WASHINGTON

The family of Mohammed Ibrahim, a 16-year-old Palestinian American from the state of Florida, detained by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, is pleading for urgent US action to secure his release as his health deteriorates.

The teen, who spent his 16th birthday behind bars in March, has been held for seven months without contact from his parents. Relatives said he was arrested in February while visiting family in the West Bank.

He was charged with throwing stones at illegal Israeli settlers, an accusation his family said he denies.

“We know from the US Embassy (in Jerusalem) that his health is very bad,” Zeyad Kadur, Mohammed’s uncle, told Anadolu outside the US Capitol, where he joined families demanding justice and accountability for Americans killed by Israeli forces and settlers.

He said Mohammed contracted scabies more than three months ago and has received no treatment. “At one point, he was down over 30 pounds, which is more than a quarter of his total body weight.”

“We have no contact. We haven’t seen him. We haven’t heard from him,” said. “The last time we saw Mohammad was him being blindfolded, handcuffed and drug out of the house in front of his mom and dad by 25 armed soldiers.”

The family said attempts to reach US officials have gone unanswered.

“We reached out to the US State Department here in the United States. They’ve ignored us. They haven’t taken our calls. They haven’t responded to our emails,” he said.

In response to Anadolu's inquiry, a State Department spokesperson said the US has “no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens.”

“If we become aware of the arrest of any U.S. citizen, including a minor, we will provide consular services, including prison visits, to ensure their safety, security, and communication with family as appropriate,” the spokesperson said. “Whenever a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, the Department works to provide consular assistance in accordance with U.S. and international law.”

The spokesperson declined to comment further, citing “privacy and other considerations.”

Kadur has particular frustration with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a fellow Floridian.

“They got 1,500 Israeli Americans on private planes and flown back to Florida,” said Kadur, referring to an evacuation organized by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in June that brought young Jewish Americans home. “He (Rubio) hasn't responded to one call or one email about one kid, a child from Florida from his home state.”

Mohammed's case has drawn growing attention in recent weeks. More than 100 advocacy groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Jewish Voice for Peace Action, sent a letter to Rubio urging action.

It described Mohammed as “an American child” unjustly imprisoned without trial, and demanded that the US secure his release.

At a news conference, where families of Americans killed by Israeli forces and settlers also spoke, Kadur said his nephew’s ordeal reflects a broader reality faced by Palestinians living under occupation.

“The same phone call that sends billions of dollars there can get an American child back to his parents,” he said.