A Palestinian-American teenager is expected to appear in court in Israel later this week after nine months in detention without being charged.
Mohammed Ibrahim, who is 16 and lives in Florida, was arrested in February while on holiday in the Israeli-occupied West Bank for allegedly throwing stones at Jewish settlers, something he denies.
Last month, 27 Democratic US Senators and House members sent a letter to the US State Department, urging the Trump administration to do more to pressure Israel to release him.
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated that Mohammed had committed 'a serious potentially deadly crime' and insisted that the court was proceeding under due process.
However, the teenager's family disputes this characterization. 'You can ask anybody you know, he's a real sweet boy, into his sports and his PlayStation and school,' his father, Zahar Ibrahim, mentioned, wiping tears as he spoke about his son.
Mohammed was arrested during a nighttime raid on his family's summer home in West Bank's al-Mazraa al-Sharqiya. His father claims he hasn’t been able to speak or see his son since then.
'He's just a regular fun kid that loves and respects anybody,' Mr. Ibrahim stated. He expressed concern over his son's well-being, alleging that Mohammed was beaten into confessing to acts he did not commit.
The US embassy is reportedly involved, having assigned a case worker who has visited Mohammed in prison. They noted that he has lost significant weight and is not faring well.
Despite being a US citizen, Zahar questioned the efficacy of American diplomatic efforts, underscoring that having an American passport seems ineffective in this situation.
'Do what you said from day one. You know, America first. He's American, and he's a citizen and he's a child. So, you know, as a president, his [Trump's] duty is to protect Americans, and we’re not seeing that for Mohammed,' he urged.
US lawmakers, including Senator Chris van Hollen, criticize the Trump administration for not using its influence effectively, saying that if this were any other nation, there would be a more substantial effort to resolve the situation.
Mohammed's case is high-profile not just because of his citizenship, but also due to the alarming statistics of around 350 Palestinian minors detained in similar situations, many without charges and allegedly subjected to abuse.
As Zahar Ibrahim awaited updates, he remarked on the dim conditions of his home, reflecting the stress and grief of having a son in such a dire situation.
