Ahed Tamimi, a 22-year-old Palestinian activist who became a symbol of resistance to Israel’s occupation as a teenager, has been arrested by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank. She was detained overnight in the village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah, where her family lives, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society.
The Israeli military said she was suspected of “inciting violence and terrorist activities” on social media, and that she was transferred to Israeli security forces for further questioning.
However, her mother, Nariman Tamimi, denied that her daughter wrote the post, saying that there were many fake accounts using her name and photo. She also said that Israeli forces had searched the house and confiscated the mobile phones of the family members.
Ahed Tamimi rose to international fame in 2015 when she was filmed biting an Israeli soldier who was trying to detain her younger brother. Two years later, she was arrested again after being filmed slapping and kicking an Israeli soldier during a confrontation outside her home. She was sentenced to eight months in prison after being indicted on 12 charges, including assault, incitement and stone-throwing.
Her father, Bassem Tamimi, is also a well-known activist and has been arrested several times by Israeli forces. He was detained last week during a raid in Nabi Saleh, and his whereabouts are unknown.