Israel Judge Orders Ahed Tamimi to be Arrested

An Israeli military judge on Wednesday ordered a Palestinian teenager arrested after a viral video showed her hitting two Israeli soldiers held in custody until trial.

The United Kingdom’s Foreign Office Minister, Alistair Burt, condemned the incarceration of Tamimi. He continued to say that the Israeli soldiers should not have been in the occupied West Bank in the first place.

“I found no alternative other than to order her detention in custody until the end of proceedings,” the judge ruled.

“The gravity of the offenses of which she is accused do not allow an alternative to custody.”

Ahed Tamimi, 16, 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.

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.

The judge’s decision on Wednesday raises the possibility she could spend months in custody before the conclusion of her case.

Human rights groups have criticized the minor’s continued detention since her arrest on December 19.

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

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