![\"Nighttime](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Mohammed-Ibrahim-70.jpg\")
Protestors in Tampa, Florida on Nov. 9, 2025. Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\nProtestors in Tampa, Florida on Nov. 9, 2025. Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n
A 16-year-old Palestinian American youth from Brevard County was released from an Israeli prison Thursday after being held since February on allegations of rock throwing in the West Bank.<\/p>\n
The U.S. State Department confirmed the release of Mohammed Ibrahim in a statement sent to the Phoenix on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Department of State welcomes the news of the release of U.S. citizen Mohammed Ibrahim from detention in Israel,\u201d said a State Department spokesperson, who added that \u201cthe Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
During a press conference\u00a0in Tampa in August<\/a>, an attorney for his family said that Ibrahim had originally been held in Israel\u2019s Megiddo Prison, where they said he had contracted scabies but been denied medical treatment. Family members said he had lost more than 25 pounds since his detention began.<\/p>\n In a press release issued Thursday by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)\u2019s Florida chapter, the organization said it had shared a sworn statement with members of Congress detailing how Ibrahim had been \u201cbeaten with rifle butts, starved, denied medical care, and threatened by masked interrogators who coerced him into a false confession under fear of further violence.\u201d<\/p>\n CAIR and CAIR-Florida are calling on the State Department, members of Congress, faith leaders, and civil-society organizations to press for a full public accounting of Ibrahim\u2019s treatment and \u201cconcrete consequences for the Israeli officials responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n NPR reported<\/a>\u00a0earlier this month Ibrahim had been charged with two counts of stone-throwing at a moving vehicle, which could have resulted in a penalty of 20 years. A military court had been scheduled to hear his case on Dec. 15.<\/p>\n The Guardian\u00a0reported<\/a>\u00a0earlier this month that the Israeli embassy in Washington had been circulating a letter in the nation\u2019s capital defending its nine-month detention of Ibrahim and the medical treatment. The publication said the letter had not mentioned his dramatic weight loss or that his family had virtually no contact with him since he was arrested in February for allegedly throwing \u201crocks at vehicles belonging to Israeli citizens\u201d or a confession after being interrogated the night of his arrest.<\/p>\n In October, 27 members of Congress, including Florida Democratic U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor and Maxwell Frost,\u00a0sent a letter<\/a>\u00a0to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee expressing \u201cgrave concerns\u201d over Ibrahim\u2019s treatment, and called on them to press the Israeli government to release him.<\/p>\n Maryland U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen also signed that letter.<\/p>\n \u201cI was relieved to hear from his family today and to know that he\u2019s safe and where he belongs \u2014 with his family,\u201d Van Hollen said on\u00a0X<\/a>\u00a0on Thursday.<\/p>\n The letter noted that Ibrahim was the cousin of\u00a0Sayfollah Mussalet<\/a>, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen from Tampa who was reportedly beaten to death by Israel settlers in July, with no one yet held to account regarding his killing.<\/p>\n Florida Phoenix<\/a> is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0BlueSky<\/a><\/p>\n This article appears in Nov. 27 \u2013 Dec. 03, 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n \t