The Israeli army (IDF) has arrested a 14-year-old Palestinian teen with dual Palestinian-US citizenship in West Bank.
Reports say Israeli forces detained Mohammad K. on stone-throwing charges during a predawn raid on his home.
The arrest made headlines for the teen was reportedly without a warrant, denied access to an attorney, and interrogated without the presence of a parent.
At present Mohammad is being held at Ofer prison near Ramallah.
US responds to the arrest of 14-year-old American Citizen in the West Bank
The US confirmed that a U.S. citizen minor has been detained in the West Bank by Israeli authorities.
According to US State Department, consular officers from the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv and Consulate General in Jerusalem have had access to the U.S. citizen and are providing appropriate consular assistance.
Due to privacy considerations, the State Department was unable to provide further information.
However, US expects the Israel government the ensure the U.S. citizen is treated fairly.
In general, private citizens work through their attorneys within the host country’s legal framework.
The State Department notes its role in an arrest case generally includes monitoring cases with a view to whether U.S. citizens are treated properly, ensuring that they have access to a list of attorneys, and facilitating communication with family and friends.
Israel captured East Jerusalem along with the West Bank and Gaza in the Six-Day War in 1967, but annexed the city as its united capital in a move not recognized by the international community. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem as capital of their future State.
In 2009, Israel waged a fierce three-week military campaign in Gaza to stop rockets from being fired on its southern communities. Israel engaged a devastating air and ground campaign that left as many as 1,400 Palestinians dead by the time a cease-fire was unilaterally declared by both sides. Much of the region’s civil infrastructure and many homes were left in ruins during the three-week offensive that ended in January 2009. Thirteen Israelis were also killed.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled since late September last year following Israel’s refusal to extend a 10-month freeze on settlement activity. That decision prompted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to withdraw from direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
