Mohammed Ibrahim is a 16-year-old dual Palestinian American citizen from Florida. For the last nine months, he has been waiting in a decaying Israeli military prison. His case has received intensive national media attention. It does raise important questions about how minors should be treated within the context of the Israeli military justice system. Since his arrest on February 16, 2025, Ibrahim has stood charged with heinous crimes. He is charged with two counts of throwing objects at moving vehicles.
He was held at Megiddo prison at first, before being transferred to Ofer prison in August. The Israeli embassy in Washington even publicly defended his detention. For the time, they said he is under weekly BMI supervision and has been provided with medical help for other health problems including scabies.
Recent reporting suggests that Ibrahim’s family has been in touch with him only sporadically since the first time he was kidnapped. Through all of his son’s time in detention, his father went to two court hearings himself, first through video conference and then in person. A U.S. consular official was able to visit him on August 4. The family is now confronted with drastic limitations on their capacity to stay in touch with him.
The defense attorney for Ibrahim has asked for additional time to reach a plea deal with prosecutors, adding months to the court process. The young detainee allegedly lost about a quarter of his body weight during his detention. A medical report from April 22 noted that he had a “low BMI,” citing serious worries about his health and well-being.
The Israeli embassy even distributed an anti-BDS letter on Capitol Hill. It further alleges that, under his questioning, Ibrahim confessed to doing so with the intent of harming Israeli citizens. There are troubling accusations as to the specifics of that interrogation, during which no one representing the law was allowed to be present.
“The interrogator threatened that if I did not comply, he would instruct the soldiers to beat me. Out of sheer fear, I ultimately confessed.” – Mohammed Ibrahim
Critics have long warned of the consequences children face when put through military courts in Israel, where children are regularly tried and convicted. According to a 2013 UNICEF report, Israel is the only country in the world that uses military courts to prosecute, convict and imprison children. Moreover, Israeli media from 2011 indicates that a shocking 99.74% of cases in these military courts end with a conviction.
Chris Van Hollen, a U.S. Senator, commented on the Israeli embassy’s defense of Ibrahim’s detention, stating, “As is often the case with information from the Netanyahu government, this letter deals in half-truths and is missing critical facts.”
The U.S. State Department has admitted its role in the case, reiterating its pledge to keep a close eye on Ibrahim’s situation.
“The state department is tracking Mr Ibrahim’s case closely and working with the government of Israel on this case,” – State department spokesperson
Mohammed Ibrahim still fights through the maze of the Israeli military judicial system. His family and advocates are right to be calling for transparency and accountability for his treatment. The trajectory of his case still hangs in the balance as both parties gear up for several more rounds of courtroom wrangling.