Palestinian teen in viral 'slap' video awaits bail decision

An Israeli military court on Monday ordered that a Palestinian teenager be kept in custody until Wednesday when a decision on whether she is to be granted bail will be handed down.

Ahed Tamimi's December 15 confrontation with Israeli soldiers in Ramallah, in which she slapped and kicked them, was videoed and went viral on social media.

Prosecutors are seeking to the keep 16-year in custody until her trial ends.

Tamimi's lawyer Gaby Lasky argued in court that her client's continued detention violates international conventions since Tamimi is a minor.

The teenager has been hailed as a hero by Palestinians who see her as bravely standing up to Israel's occupation of the West Bank. Israelis accuse her family of using her as a pawn in staged provocations.

TRT World's Mohammad Hamayel has more. 

Facing lengthy jail time

Tamimi has been charged with 12 counts including assault and could face a lengthy jail term if convicted.

The charges relate to events in the video and five other incidents. They include stone-throwing, incitement and making threats.

Her mother Nariman has also been arrested over the incident, as has her cousin Nour Tamimi, 20.

Nour Tamimi was released on bail on January 5 while Nariman Tamimi remains in custody.

Ahed Tamimi's family says the December 15 incident that led to the arrests occurred in the yard of their home in Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah in the West Bank.

Israel's military said the soldiers were in the area to prevent Palestinians from throwing stones at Israeli motorists.

A video shows the cousins approaching two soldiers and telling them to leave before shoving, kicking and slapping them.

Ahed Tamimi is the most aggressive of the two in the video.

Attempt to provoke

The heavily armed soldiers do not respond in the face of what appears to be an attempt to provoke rather than seriously harm them.

They then move backwards after Nariman Tamimi becomes involved.

The scuffle took place amid clashes and protests against US President Donald Trump's controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Relatives say that a member of the Tamimi family was wounded in the head by a rubber bullet fired during those protests.

Seventeen Palestinians have been killed since Trump's declaration on December 6, most of them in clashes with Israeli forces. One Israeli has been shot dead since then.