In the quiet, olive-tree-lined village of Al-Mazraa a-Sharqiya in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a family’s life has been upended for nearly nine months. The Ibrahim family, who split their time between Tampa, Florida and this West Bank village, has been living in a state of limbo since February 2025, when Israeli soldiers arrested their teenage son, Mohammed Ibrahim, in the dead of night for allegedly throwing stones. The case has become a focal point for international attention, raising questions about the treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military courts, the role of the U.S. government in protecting its citizens abroad, and the broader implications of security measures imposed after the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.
According to NPR, the arrest unfolded at around 3:30 in the morning. Mohammed, then just 15 years old, was pulled from his bed, blindfolded, and handcuffed. His mother, Muna Ibrahim, still recalls the shock: "Since that day I didn't see my son. I didn't hear his voice." Since his arrest, Mohammed has been imprisoned without family visits or phone calls—a reality that has marked every day of his sixteenth year, which he spent behind bars.
The charges against Mohammed stem from Israeli military law in the West Bank, which was further tightened following last year's deadly attacks and the subsequent Gaza war. Under these special security provisions, stone-throwing is treated as a grave offense. Court documents reviewed by NPR indicate Mohammed faces two counts of stone-throwing, including one for allegedly targeting a moving vehicle—a charge that carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years. During interrogation, Mohammed admitted to throwing a stone near a road but maintained he neither hit anything nor intended to do so. His admission is documented in court records and supported by a video of the interrogation, which his father, Zaher Ibrahim, viewed with the help of the family’s lawyer.
Mohammed’s ordeal is not unique. Since October 7, 2023, more than 9,000 Palestinians—including hundreds of children—have been detained in the West Bank, based on official Palestinian figures cited by NPR. The military courts that handle these cases operate under a shroud of secrecy, with proceedings often delayed for months. As Zaher Ibrahim told NPR, "Their hearings here are not like America. You wait 9 hours, 8 hours, 7 hours—there's no time when his court starts. You walk in and they just say, 'Court delayed until next month.' That's how it's been for 9 months almost."
As of November 8, 2025, Mohammed has had ten court hearings, all adjourned without a plea bargain or a set trial date. His next hearing is scheduled for Sunday, November 9. The family’s hope for resolution is tempered by the Kafkaesque reality of the military court system. Lea Tsemel, an Israeli lawyer who has defended hundreds of Palestinians in similar cases (though not representing Mohammed), described the situation to NPR: "Even a boy—even a younger boy than this one—is considered a security prisoner [under special West Bank security provisions], and will be limited and denied of any right, including food, including family visits. Hardly they can see a lawyer here and there."
Mohammed’s physical and mental health have deteriorated during his incarceration. U.S. Embassy officials, as well as recently released prisoners, have told his father that Mohammed is suffering from scabies—a skin condition that began on one foot and has since spread across his body. He has also lost nearly a third of his body weight. Members of the U.S. Congress have gone further, expressing concern that he may show "signs of torture." In October 2025, 27 members of Congress signed a letter to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging them to engage with Israeli authorities to secure Mohammed’s "swift release," citing his "alarming weight loss, deteriorating health, and signs of torture."
The U.S. government has indeed become involved. According to NPR, Ambassador Huckabee and embassy staff are "deeply involved" in the case, and the State Department has stated it is "tracking Mr. Ibrahim's case closely and working with the government of Israel." Secretary of State Rubio, who hails from Florida like the Ibrahims, appointed a U.S. diplomat to liaise directly with the family. Zaher Ibrahim described the diplomatic engagement as ongoing but frustratingly inconclusive: "They had a couple sit-downs with the Israeli government. They said the meeting was very positive, but there's been no follow-up after that."
The Israeli military, for its part, has defended its procedures. In a statement to NPR, officials asserted, "Defendants are represented by a lawyer of their choice, and all evidence is made available to the defense. The military courts strictly uphold due process and the rights of the defendants throughout the proceedings." Yet, the Ibrahim family’s experience—and those of many others—suggests a different reality, with infrequent legal visits and prolonged uncertainty.
Beyond the courtroom and prison walls, the family’s pain is compounded by tragedy. In July 2025, Mohammed’s 20-year-old cousin, Sayfollah Musallet—also a U.S. citizen—was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. The two boys were close, and Musallet’s death marked the fifth American killed in the West Bank since October 7, 2023. No trial date has been set for his murder, adding to the family’s sense of injustice and loss. Muna Ibrahim, Mohammed’s mother, struggles with how to break the news to her son when he is finally released. In the meantime, she has placed a box of chocolates on his bed as a welcome home gift, a small gesture of hope in the face of mounting despair. "May no mother go through what I went through," she told NPR. "We expected he'll come out within one week, because he's a U.S. citizen, and we just keep waiting."
Stone-throwing has a long and contentious history in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. During two Palestinian intifadas, it was a common act of resistance, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,000 Israelis and many times that number of Palestinians. Israeli authorities argue that harsh sentences for stone-throwing are intended to deter violence and incentivize plea bargains. However, as Tsemel noted, the vast majority of minors charged with such offenses never actually serve the maximum sentence. Still, the process itself—marked by uncertainty, isolation, and the threat of lengthy imprisonment—takes a heavy toll on defendants and their families.
As the world watches and waits for the outcome of Mohammed Ibrahim’s next court hearing, the case stands as a stark reminder of the complexities and human costs of the ongoing conflict in the West Bank. For the Ibrahim family, and for many others caught in similar circumstances, hope and heartbreak remain inextricably intertwined.
