Cold cells, meagre meals: Palestinian American boy suffers in Israeli jail

Mohammed Ibrahim, 16, has described inhumane conditions successful Israeli detention arsenic rights advocates telephone for his release.

Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCIP) has obtained grounds from Palestinian American teen Mohammed Ibrahim, who has been held successful detention since February, successful a lawsuit that has go a awesome for the mistreatment of minors successful Israeli jails.

In an interrogation with a DCIP lawyer, published connected Tuesday, 16-year-old Mohammed described the harsh conditions helium has faced, including bladed mattresses, acold cells and meagre meals.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Trump claims Middle East countries offered to combat Hamas successful Gaza
• list 2 of 3WFP says nutrient supplies to Gaza beneath targets, urges much crossings to open
• list 3 of 3Israel’s Netanyahu fires nationalist information main amid Gaza tensions

“The meals we person are highly insufficient,” helium is quoted arsenic saying.

“For breakfast, we are served conscionable 3 tiny pieces of bread, on with a specified spoonful of labneh. At lunch, our information is minimal, consisting of lone fractional a tiny cupful of undercooked, adust rice, a azygous sausage, and 3 tiny pieces of bread. Dinner is not provided, and we person nary effect whatsoever.”

According to DCIP, Mohammed has mislaid a “considerable magnitude of weight” since his detention started much than 8 months ago. He was 15 years aged astatine the time.

Mohammed’s family, rights groups and US lawmakers person been pleading with the medication of United States President Donald Trump to unit Israel to merchandise the teenager.

The US has provided Israel with more than $21bn implicit the past 2 years.

“Not adjacent an American passport tin support Palestinian children,” Ayed Abu Eqtaish, the accountability programme manager astatine DCIP, said successful a statement.

“Despite his family’s advocacy successful Congress and engagement of the US Embassy, Mohammad remains successful Israeli prison. Israel is the lone state successful the satellite that systematically prosecutes children successful subject court.”

After Israeli soldiers raided Mohammed’s household location successful the occupied West Bank successful February, they took the teen into custody. Mohammed recalled to DCIP that the soldiers bushed him with the butts of rifles arsenic they transported him.

The teen was primitively housed successful the notorious Megiddo situation – which a precocious released Palestinian detainee described arsenic a “slaughterhouse” – earlier being transferred to Ofer, different detention facility.

“Each captive receives 2 blankets, yet we inactive consciousness acold astatine night,” Mohammed told DCIP.

“There is nary heating oregon cooling strategy successful the rooms. The lone items contiguous are mattresses, blankets, and a azygous transcript of the Quran successful each room.”

The teen has been charged with throwing stones astatine Israeli settlers, an accusation that helium denies. Legal experts accidental that Palestinians from the occupied West Bank astir ne'er person just trials successful Israel’s subject courts.

The maltreatment that freed Palestinian captives person described aft the caller captive speech betwixt Hamas and Israel, arsenic portion of the Gaza ceasefire deal, spurred renewed calls for releasing Mohammed.

“Right now, Mohammed Ibrahim, a US citizen, is being held successful an Israeli prison. His wellness is deteriorating. The circumstances are desperate,” Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley wrote connected X connected Sunday.

“The United States indispensable usage each avenue disposable to unafraid the merchandise of this Palestinian American child.”

Since the commencement of the warfare connected Gaza successful October 2023, astatine slightest 79 Palestinian detainees person died successful Israeli jails amid a deficiency of aesculapian care, restrictions connected nutrient and reports of unit and torture, according to the Palestinian Prisoner Club.

Medical officials successful Gaza person described signs of torture and execution connected the bodies of slain Palestinian captives handed implicit by Israel aft the ceasefire implicit the past week.

Earlier this year, Mohammed’s relatives told Al Jazeera that they fearfulness for his life.

His father, Zaher Ibrahim, said that the Trump medication could usage its leverage to escaped his lad with a azygous telephone call. “But we’re thing to them,” helium told Al Jazeera.

Since 2022, Israeli forces and settlers person killed astatine slightest 10 US citizens, including two in the West Bank successful July.