Washington, DC – Israeli authorities have been detaining an American teenager for almost six months with out trial for allegedly throwing rocks at Israeli settlers within the occupied West Bank, a declare the 16-year-old’s household denies whereas expressing concern for his deteriorating well being.
Mohammed Ibrahim, a Palestinian-American who was born within the US state of Florida, has been utterly lower off from his household since his arrest in February with out visitation or phone rights, his father and uncle mentioned.
In accordance with an Israeli army interrogation video obtained by the household and seen by Al Jazeera on Wednesday, Mohammed denied accusations that he was throwing rocks at Israeli autos close to his village north of Ramallah.
Zaher Ibrahim, the jailed teenager’s father, mentioned on Wednesday that the household has acquired reviews that Mohammed is shedding weight drastically and affected by a pores and skin an infection. Ibrahim mentioned he’s involved about his son’s wellbeing.
“After all, we’ve concern,” he mentioned. “When you possibly can’t go to him and you’ll’t get a cellphone name from him, what are you aware? We don’t know if he’s useless … There’s nothing we all know.”
In accordance with the household, United States officers visited Mohammed in detention weeks after he was arrested. However an e mail from a consular officer means that the officers had been unable to achieve entry to him earlier in July.
“The Israel Jail Service up to date us yesterday that your son suffers from scabies, and he’s being handled by a health care provider. We requested [an] replace concerning his therapeutic,” the e-mail mentioned.
Scabies, brought on by an infestation of mites, causes excessive itching and rashes throughout the physique.
“We hope to see him subsequent week or the week after when he heals,” the e-mail learn, pledging to maintain the household “up to date”.
The Israeli army, its Ministry of Defence and its Authorities Press Workplace didn’t reply to Al Jazeera’s request for remark by the point of publication.
The US State Division declined to reply Al Jazeera’s questions on Mohammed’s case or verify or deny his detention, citing “privateness concerns”.
“The Division has no larger precedence than the security and safety of US residents,” a division spokesperson wrote in a observe to Al Jazeera.
“Each time a US citizen is detained overseas, the Division works to supply consular help, which can embody visiting detained US residents to make sure they’ve entry to obligatory medicine or medical consideration and facilitating licensed communications with their household or others.”
The US gives billions of dollars in military aid to Israel yearly in addition to diplomatic backing on the United Nations – help that has elevated considerably because the begin of the struggle on Gaza.
‘We get swept underneath the rug’
Mohammed was arrested throughout a raid by closely armed Israeli troops at his household residence in al-Mazraa ash-Sharqiya, north of Ramallah, at daybreak on February 16, in accordance with his household.
He’s going through fees associated to rock-throwing, however his kinfolk say they’re frightened that his well being is deteriorating in detention as his court docket hearings are routinely postponed.
Ibrahim additionally expressed concern that Israeli prosecutors could use proof obtained by torture to incriminate his son.
Mohammed’s household is urgently calling for the US authorities to safe his launch earlier than it’s too late. {The teenager} is the primary cousin of Sayfollah Musallet, who was overwhelmed to demise by Israeli settlers in July within the West Financial institution.
Mohammed’s arrest got here amid escalating violence by Israeli forces and settlers within the occupied West Financial institution because the war on Gaza rages on.
The Israeli army has repeatedly carried out lethal raids and home demolitions throughout the West Financial institution. For his or her half, Israeli settlers typically descend on Palestinian communities and ransack total neighbourhoods.
Mohammed’s kinfolk say his ordeal underscores the US’s unwillingness to guard even its personal residents from Israeli abuses.
“It’s apparent we get swept underneath the rug. And so far as getting assist or investigations or some kind of justice, we don’t know,” mentioned Zeyad Kadur, Mohammed’s uncle.
“Eight People have been killed within the final 19 months. The place is our place in line? Are we quantity 9?”
In accordance with the nonprofit Protection for Youngsters Worldwide-Palestine (DCI-P), Israel detains as many as 700 Palestinian children annually.
‘Only a baby’
Mohammed turned 16 in jail in March. His household mentioned that US officers have promised to push for an enchancment in his jailhouse circumstances and search his launch.
Aside from updates from the embassy, all of the household is aware of about Mohammed is thru reviews from former baby inmates who noticed him in jail. In addition they catch glimpses of him on video feeds throughout his court docket appearances.
Kadur, Mohammed’s uncle, mentioned the household estimates that {the teenager} has misplaced 13kg (28 kilos) in detention, greater than a fourth of his physique weight.
At Megiddo Jail, the identical facility the place Mohammed is being held, 17-year-old detainee Walid Ahmad died in March on account of “extended malnutrition”, in accordance with DCI-P.
Walid, who had been held for six months with no cost, additionally suffered from scabies.
Kadur burdened that Mohammed is “only a baby” who loves life, and he was desirous to get his driver’s licence as a way to work on the household’s ice cream store in Florida throughout the summer season.
“There’s not a legislation, there’s not a rustic, there’s not wherever on this planet the place youngsters are imprisoned and that nation calls itself a democracy and doesn’t have visitations or cellphone calls, or any technique – even letter writing – to [contact] the mother and father,” Kadur instructed Al Jazeera.
Musallet’s case
Whereas Mohammed is languishing in Israeli detention, the settlers who killed his cousin stay free.
In a separate incident, Yinon Levi, an Israeli settler who appeared to fatally shoot Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen on video earlier this week, was shortly launched to accommodate arrest.
Palestinians within the West Financial institution are tried in Israeli army courts which have a close to 100-percent conviction price. However settlers are largely prosecuted underneath Israeli legal legislation, they usually not often face accountability for assaults on Palestinians.
That two-tiered authorized method is a side of what main rights teams name a system of apartheid in opposition to Palestinians.
“Israeli settlers can come to you, shoot you within the head, and stroll residence to sleep,” mentioned Ibrahim, Mohammed’s father.
“The Palestinian, if he has his personal plot of land in entrance of his home and the settlers come to burn his automotive and he pushes them away, he’ll be charged.”
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee – a vocal supporter of unlawful Israeli settlements – has described the killing of Musallet as a “terrorist act” and referred to as for Israel to “aggressively examine” the incident.
However there have been no arrests within the case 20 days after Musallet was beaten to death.