She is one of the figures of the Palestinian cause. Ahed Tamimi, 22, was arrested this Monday, November 6, 2023, by the Israeli army during a raid in the occupied West Bank. “Ahed Tamimi, suspected of inciting violence and terrorist activities, was arrested in Nabi Saleh city. “Tamimi was handed over to Israeli security forces for further questioning.” an army spokesman told AFP.
Activist arrested in Israeli army raid “The aim is to arrest people suspected of involvement in terrorist activities and incitement to hatred” in the north of the occupied West Bank, the same source added.
Famous at 14
Ahed Tamimi became famous at the age of 14. She filmed herself biting an Israeli soldier to stop him from arresting her little brother, who was lying on the ground with his arm in a cast.
By slapping two Israeli soldiers at the age of 17, she became an icon of Palestinian resistance to the occupation of her land. The confrontation took place in December 2017 outside the Tamimi family’s home in their village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by the Israeli army for more than fifty years.
Also read: Ahed Tamimi, the young activist challenging Israel
In the crosshairs of the Israeli authorities
The video of this scene quickly went viral on social media. In March 2018, the young girl was sentenced to eight months in prison before being released in July. The teenager then explained that she wanted to study law so that she could defend herself “the Palestinian cause”.
The young woman has long been in the crosshairs of the Israeli authorities. She is considered a provocative and manipulative actress and is accused of voluntarily creating the conditions for clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians in Nabi Saleh, a stronghold of protest against the Israeli occupation, and then spreading anti-Israel propaganda on social networks.
Mass arrests
Since the start of the war, sparked by Hamas’ deadly attack in Israel on October 7, Israeli security forces have made massive arrests of Palestinians suspected of violence, incitement to violence or membership in Hamas.
In addition, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 150 Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank by shelling by Israeli soldiers or settlers.