Israeli court extends Palestinian girl's detention

An Israeli court on Thursday extended the detention of the 16-year-old Palestinian girl - whose video showing her slapping Israeli soldiers went viral- until Monday.

Ahed al Tamimi and her mother Nariman were ordered to be kept behind bars for a further five days by Israeli military Ofer Court, located near the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Ahed's cousin Nour was released on bail for 48 hours.

Footage from a December 15 confrontation with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh showed Ahed and Nour approaching two soldiers before shoving, kicking and slapping them.

Nariman also pushed the soldiers.

Ahed has been accused of “assaulting a soldier, harming the security of the area, incitement and other felonies,” according to court documents cited by Israeli media.

On December 19, Israeli forces detained Ahed in Nabi Saleh. Her mother and cousin were arrested shortly afterward.

The latest case is not Ahed’s first brush with the Israeli authorities. In 2012, Istanbul’s Basaksehir Municipality awarded her the Hanzala Courage Award for defying Israeli soldiers who had just arrested her brother.

Then Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Ahed to personally to convey his admiration.

Ahed’s father, mother and brothers have also all been repeatedly arrested by the authorities for their opposition to Israel’s decades-long occupation.

On December 6, US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, drawing condemnation from across the Muslim world and sparking angry protests across the Palestinian territories.

Since then, at least 15 Palestinians have been killed and thousands injured in clashes with security forces in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.