Palestinian-American Teen Injured Amid Protests Is Sentenced to House Arrest by Jerusalem Court; Police Say He Was No Innocent Bystander

Story by the Associated Press; curated by Dave Urbanski

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police say a 15-year-old Palestinian-American who was severely injured during clashes with Israeli security forces last week has been sentenced to nine days of house arrest.

Police said Tariq Abu Khdeir resisted arrest, attacked officers and was carrying a slingshot for lobbing stones when he was arrested, the AP added.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri says a Jerusalem court on Sunday ordered Abu Khdeir to remain at a home in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina.

Tariq Abu Khdeir, 15, a U.S. citizen who relatives say was beaten and arrested by Israeli police during clashes sparked by the killing Thursday of his cousin Mohammed Abu Khdeir, is escorted by Israeli prison guards during an appearance at Jerusalem magistrate's court Sunday, July 6, 2014.  (Image source: AP/Oded Balilty)

Abu Khdeir's family says he was severely beaten by Israeli police during protests in Jerusalem last week over the killing of a Palestinian teen. The incident is under investigation.

His parents said their son, who goes to school in Florida, is the cousin of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, who was seized and killed in Jerusalem last week.

Hassan Shibly, executive director with CAIR-Florida, told WTSP-TV in Tampa Bay "this Israeli soldier cracked down on the protest and started picking people up (and Tariq Abu Khdeir) was one of the people that they attacked.”

But Israeli Defense Forces issued a statement Saturday distancing themselves from the reported beating of Khdeir: ”It seems that the Israel Police Forces were involved in the incident, and not the IDF Forces.”