An Israeli military court on Monday indicted a teenage Palestinian girl who was filmed last month in the West Bank slapping and kicking Israeli troops who refused to respond.
Palestinians have since hailed Ahed Tamimi, 16, as an icon in their fight against Israel. In Israel, the footage sparked debate about the soldiers' refusal to react, with many in Israel criticizing the soldiers' restraint.
The court indicted Tamimi on several counts including assaulting soldiers as well as charges relating to previous altercations with Israeli forces. The charges against her included aggravated assault against a soldier, obstructing a soldier in the performance of his duty and throwing stones at troops. The court extended her remand for eight days.
"Tamimi threw stones at [the soldiers], threatened them, obstructed their ability to fulfill their duty, took part in riots and incited others to take part in them," the military tweeted.
Tamimi's lawyer, Gaby Lasky, said she was certain some of the charges would eventually be dismissed, but nonetheless, prosecutors may seek the maximum penalty for other counts.
"I am sure they want to keep her as long as possible because they don't want the voice of resistance outside prison," Lasky told Reuters at the military courtroom in Ofer prison near the Palestinian city of Ramallah.
Tamimi was filmed in December outside her family home, pushing, kicking and slapping the soldiers, who fended off the blows without retaliating.
Her father Bassem has said she was upset when she approached the soldiers after her 15-year-old cousin had been shot with a rubber bullet. The military confirmed rubber bullets had been used following what it said was a violent demonstration but had no information about who was shot.
Bassem called Monday's indictment a "political trial" saying Israel dug up old incidents in addition to the one filmed in order to "justify her arrest."
Tamimi was arrested at her home in the Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh in a pre-dawn raid three days after the confrontation, amid an uproar in Israel.
Nabi Saleh is a village of about 600 people, most of them members of Tamimi's extended family. For eight years, villagers along with Israeli and foreign activists have protested weekly against Israeli policies in the West Bank.
Tamimi is no stranger to controversy: In 2015, she bit a soldier's hand as he held her brother in a chokehold in an attempted arrest. In 2012 she was presented with an award in Turkey and met its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after images of her confronting an Israeli soldier went viral.
An adult found guilty of assaulting a soldier could be jailed for up to 10 years, but such an outcome would be unlikely for Tamimi, who is a minor.
Ahed's mother, Nariman Tamimi, was also indicted on Monday by a Judea military court for her involvement in two incidents, including the one with her daughter that was filmed, and for incitement on social media sites.
The indictment states that Nariman streamed the video on Facebook Live and along with Ahed and her cousin, Nur, pushed the officer.
On Sunday, Nur Tamimi, 20, was indicted on charges of aggravated assault and for interfering with a soldier in carrying out his duties.
In a separate case, the family of a female Palestinian lawmaker who has been jailed without charge since July said her detention has been extended for another six months.
Khalida Jarrar has been held under administrative detention.
Jarrar, who is in her mid-50s, is a popular figure among Palestinians and is known for fiery speeches against Israel. In 2015, Israel sentenced her to 15 months for incitement to violence.
Jarrar is a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a faction opposed to peace with Israel and is branded a terrorist group in the West. The group was involved in hijackings and other major attacks in the 1970s.
Her husband, Ghassan Jarrar, said Israel was holding her for political reasons.
"The court didn't find anything to convict her. Therefore, they referred her to administrative detention where they don't have to present any specific charges," he said.
