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Palestinian girl jailed for eight months for slapping Israeli soldier

Ahed Tamimi, 17, known as the "Rosa Parks of Palestine", will be sentenced to eight months in jail.

Ahed Tamimi, 17, known as the "Rosa Parks of Palestine", will be sentenced to eight months in jail. Photo: Getty

A teenage Palestinian girl who was filmed kicking and slapping an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank has accepted a plea deal under which she will be sentenced to eight months in prison, her lawyer says.

Ahed Tamimi, 17, became a hero to Palestinians after the December 15 incident outside her home in the village of Nabi Saleh was streamed live on Facebook by her mother and went viral.

The soldiers had deployed during a weekly Palestinian protest in the village against Israeli policy on settlements in the West Bank, one of the most heated issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Tamimi was 16 at the time of the offence. Her trial began last month and she faced 12 charges, including aggravated assault.

“No justice under occupation!” Tamimi, handcuffed and shackled, shouted out to reporters at court in the Ofer military prison, near the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Tamimi’s attorney Gaby Lasky said that under Wednesday’s deal approved by the court, Tamimi will plead guilty to a reduced charge sheet that includes assault and would be sentenced to eight months in jail and pay a fine of $US1430 ($1840).

The Israeli military confirmed the details of the deal.

Lasky said the jail term included the time Tamimi has spent in detention since her arrest in December.

Tamimi’s case drew global attention. Amnesty International called her the “Rosa Parks of Palestine”, and the small courtroom was often packed with journalists, diplomats and international observers during hearings.

Ahed Tamimi

Ahed Tamimi, 8, challenges Israeli soldiers in Ramallah, West Bank in 2012. Photo: Getty

A group of American cultural figures, including actors Danny Glover and Rosario Dawson and novelist Alice Walker, signed a petition calling for her release.

Tamimi’s family are veterans of protests against an Israeli settlement near their home. An Israeli watchtower stands at the entrance to the village and there are often soldiers in the area.

Her mother, Nariman, and a cousin were also arrested. Both have accepted plea bargains, a family lawyer said.

“When the European people see my daughter, blonde and blue-eyed, they are shaken, because they saw their children in front of them.

It broke the stereotyped image of the Palestinian in the international community,” Tamimi’s father, Bassem Tamimi told Reuters.

The images of Tamimi striking the soldier had also made an impact on Israelis, who debated whether the officer should have hit back.

The army said the soldier “acted professionally” by showing restraint but right-wing politicians described his behaviour as humiliating.

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