LONDON: Israel has released a Palestinian-American teenager who was detained for nine months without charge, the BBC reported.

Mohammed Ibrahim was arrested in February aged just 15 as he visited the occupied West Bank from Florida. He was accused of throwing stones at Jewish settlers but has denied doing so.

The news of his release was welcomed by the US State Department. Authorities in Israel were contacted by the BBC for comment but did not reply.

Following the release of Ibrahim, now aged 16, he was transferred to hospital for treatment after appearing “pale, underweight and suffering from conditions,” relatives said.

Zeyad Kadur, his uncle, said the family had experienced “immense relief” over the release after living through a “horrific and endless nightmare” this year.

“Right now, we are focused on getting Mohammed the immediate medical attention he needs after being subjected to Israel’s abuse and inhumane conditions for months. We just want Mohammed to be healthy and to have his childhood back,” he said. “Israeli soldiers had no right to take Mohammed from us in the first place.”

Ibrahim’s family will continue to receive consular support from the State Department, which said: “The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens.”

The boy’s father, who operates an ice cream business in Florida, said Ibrahim had only confessed to throwing stones because Israeli soldiers had beaten him.

He was not provided any information about his son’s condition since February except through court documents.

Ibrahim was detained without charge in Ofer prison, where about 350 Palestinian children are held on security charges, according to the Israeli Prison Service.

Human rights groups and UN bodies have warned that many detainees suffer abuse and torture in the prison.

Kadur said his family would also continue fighting for justice over the case of his cousin Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old dual US citizen who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in July, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. No one has been charged with Musallet’s killing.