1 of 2 Ahed Tamimi Photo: AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed Ahed Tamimi Photo: AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed
22yearold Palestinian Ahed Tamimi was arrested in her hometown of Nabi Saleh on charges of “inciting terrorism,” the Israeli army said. She became known for her fight against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
“Ahed Tamimi, suspected of inciting violence and terrorist activities, was arrested in the town of Nabi Saleh (near Ramallah in the West Bank),” a military spokesman said, Monday (6). “She was handed over to the Israeli security forces for questioning.”
The activist was arrested during an Israeli army operation in the northern West Bank “aimed at arresting people suspected of being involved in terrorist activities and inciting hatred,” the spokesman said.
When asked about the young woman’s detention, a source in the security service sent AFP a post on Instagram that was circulating on social media and was attributed to Tamimi.
The alleged publication called for the massacre of Israelis “all cities in the West Bank, Hebron and Jenin”, the army told AFP. The text explicitly described the violent manner in which the massacre was to take place.
The activist’s mother denied that her daughter wrote the message.
“They accuse her of publishing a message inciting violence, but Ahed did not write it,” he told AFP. “There are dozens of accounts with Ahed’s photo, but she has no connection to them. When Ahed tries to open an account on social media, she is immediately blocked.”
AFP was unable to verify whether the account belonged to the activist.
Ahed Tamimi, born on January 31, 2001, rose to fame at the age of 14 when she was filmed biting an Israeli soldier to prevent her younger brother from being arrested.
In December 2017, at age 16, she beat an Israeli soldier in her backyard.
On December 19, 2017, the young woman was arrested by the military and later sentenced to eight months in prison. Tamimi was released on July 29, 2018.
Since then she has become one A global symbol of the Palestinian cause and is seen by Palestinians as an example of courage in the face of Israeli oppression in the occupied territories.
2 of 2 Artist paints mural of Ahed Tamimi’s face on Israel’s separation wall in Bethlehem, West Bank, on July 25 Photo: AP Photo/Nasser Nasser artist paints mural of Ahed Tamimi’s face on Israel’s separation wall in Bethlehem, West Bank, on July 25 Photo: AP Photo/Nasser Nasser