Advocates say the 16-year-old’s health had been declining since his arrest in February for allegedly throwing rocks.
Israeli authorities have released Palestinian American teenager Mohammed Ibrahim after more than nine months in detention, in a case advocates say symbolizes Israeli abuses against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Mohammed’s release on Thursday came after a months-long pressure campaign by United States lawmakers and civil rights groups.
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The Florida teen was 15 years old in February when he was arrested at his family home in the town of al-Majra ash-Sharqiya, near Ramallah.
He turned 16 while being held in an Israeli prison, where he lost significant weight and developed skin infections.
“Words cannot express the immense relief we feel as a family after finding Mohammed in the arms of his parents,” Mohammed’s uncle, Zeyad Kadur, said in a statement.
“We couldn’t believe Mohammed was free until his parents wrapped their arms around him and made him feel safe.”
Mohammed was arrested on charges that he had thrown stones at Israeli settlers, which he denied. His father Zaheer Ibrahim and other relatives told Al Jazeera earlier this year that Mohammed was blindfolded and beaten during a raid on their family home in February.
Israeli authorities did not allow him to contact his family while he was in prison, nor did he have any visitation rights. The only updates his loved ones were getting were through US officials, who were allowed access to Mohammed.
During his detention, his family members urged the administration of US President Donald Trump to press for his release – or at least ensure he received adequate food and health care.
“Israeli soldiers had no right to take Mohammed from us,” Kadur said in Thursday’s statement.
“For more than 9 months, our family has been living a terrible and endless nightmare, especially Mohammed’s mother and father, who have not been able to see or touch their youngest child for almost a year, while they knew that Israeli soldiers were beating and starving him.”
The pressure campaign for Mohammed’s release has intensified in the last few weeks amid reports of Mohammed’s health deteriorating.
Last month, 27 US lawmakers wrote a letter urging the Trump administration to pressure Israel to release him.
Individual legislators, most prominently Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, are also raising awareness of the case and calling for Mohammed’s release.
Thursday’s statement thanked those who pushed for Mohammed’s release and said the family planned to celebrate the teen’s freedom by celebrating his 16th birthday, albeit belatedly, with his mother, Muna, serving him his favorite meal.
“No mother, father, parent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or child should ever have to go through what Mohammed had to go through,” Kadur wrote.
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