Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCIP) has secured a firsthand account from Mohammed Ibrahim, a Palestinian American teenager detained since February. His case has become emblematic of the broader issue of the mistreatment of minors within Israeli detention centers.
In a recent interview with a DCIP legal representative, 16-year-old Mohammed detailed the severe conditions endured during his incarceration, highlighting inadequate bedding, freezing cells, and insufficient nutrition.
“The food provided is grossly inadequate,” Mohammed shared.
“Breakfast consists of only three small pieces of bread accompanied by a scant spoonful of labneh. Lunch is meager, with half a small cup of dry, undercooked rice, a single sausage, and three small bread pieces. Dinner is completely omitted, and no fruit is ever given.”
DCIP reports that Mohammed has experienced significant weight loss since his detention began over eight months ago, when he was just 15 years old.
His family, alongside human rights organizations and members of the U.S. Congress, have urged the Trump administration to exert diplomatic pressure on Israel for his release.
Over the past two years, the United States has allocated more than $21 billion in aid to Israel.
Ayed Abu Eqtaish, DCIP’s accountability program director, emphasized, “Possessing an American passport offers no safeguard for Palestinian children. Despite congressional advocacy and U.S. Embassy involvement, Mohammed remains imprisoned. Israel stands alone globally in its systematic prosecution of children through military courts.”
Mohammed was detained following an Israeli military raid on his family’s home in the occupied West Bank. He recounted being struck with rifle butts by soldiers during his transfer to detention.
Initially held at the infamous Megiddo prison-described by a recently freed detainee as a “butchery site”-he was later moved to Ofer detention center.
“We each receive two blankets, yet the cold at night is unbearable,” Mohammed explained. “There is no climate control in the cells. The only possessions are mattresses, blankets, and a single Quran per room.”
He faces charges of stone-throwing at Israeli settlers, allegations he denies. Legal analysts note that Palestinians from the West Bank rarely receive impartial trials in Israel’s military judicial system.
Accounts of abuse from recently freed Palestinian prisoners, exchanged as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, have intensified demands for Mohammed’s release.
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley expressed concern on social media, stating, “Mohammed Ibrahim, a U.S. citizen, remains confined in an Israeli prison under deteriorating health conditions. The situation is dire. The U.S. government must exhaust all options to secure his freedom.”
Since the outbreak of conflict in Gaza in October 2023, at least 79 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli custody, suffering from inadequate medical treatment, food shortages, and reports of violence and torture, according to the Palestinian Prisoner Club.
Medical professionals in Gaza have documented evidence of torture and extrajudicial killings on the bodies of Palestinian prisoners returned by Israel following the ceasefire.
Earlier this year, Mohammed’s family voiced grave concerns for his wellbeing. His father, Zaher Ibrahim, told Al Jazeera that the Trump administration could secure his son’s release with a simple phone call, lamenting, “To them, we are invisible.”
Since 2022, Israeli forces and settlers have been responsible for the deaths of at least 10 U.S. citizens, including two incidents in the West Bank in July.
