US Muslim group urges White House, Congress to demand release of American teen held by Israel

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on Friday called on the White House and Congress to demand the release of Abdalkareem Issa Ahmed Safi, an American teenager held in an Israeli prison for nearly four months without charge.

"It should be unacceptable to the White House and Congress for the Israeli government to continue kidnapping Americans and disappearing them into prisons known for torture, all without any criminal charges or other due process," Nihad Awad, CAIR's national executive director, said in a statement.

"The Trump administration has a legal and moral obligation to protect American citizens overseas, especially from rogue governments funded by American taxpayer dollars," he added.

Awad urged Congress "to exercise its oversight authority and demand that the State Department secure Abdalkareem's swift and safe release."

CAIR and its chapter in the state of Texas said Safi, a US citizen with roots in Texas, has been "held hostage in an Israeli prison known for torture for almost four months without facing any criminal charges."

According to a statement from the US-based American Muslims for Palestine, Israeli forces this June raided Safi's family home in Jalazone, north of the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, in the middle of the night.

The group said Safi is the third Palestinian American citizen detained by Israeli forces without charge or trial, alongside Sama Safi and Adam Karakrah.

According to a report by US-based independent news outlet Zeteo, Israeli authorities issued an administrative detention order against him days later, based on information withheld from his lawyer and family. The practice allows Israel to hold detainees without charge or trial.

- State Department 'tracking the situation'

Asked about the case, a US State Department spokesman told Anadolu that the department is "aware of reports of an American detained in the West Bank."

"The Trump Administration takes its commitment to assist Americans abroad seriously and we are tracking the situation," the spokesman said.

"When Americans are detained abroad, the Department works on their behalf to obtain access to adequate medical care, proper treatment, and regular consular visits," the spokesman added.

The spokesman said the administration "has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans," but declined to comment further, citing "privacy and other considerations."