Palestinian teen activist Ahed Tamimi has been released from Israeli prison after completing an eight-month sentence in a case that sparked international condemnation.
Tamimi broke down in tears as an emotional crowd welcomed her in the village of Nabi Saleh on Sunday. She was released with her mother, Nariman, who also served an eight-month sentence, Al Jazeera reported.
Addressing the crowd, Tamimi thanked activists and the media for their support during her prison stay.
Tamimi and her mother were arrested by Israeli forces in December 2017 after a video went viral showing the young woman, then 16, hitting and slapping two armed Israeli soldiers outside her home in Nabi Saleh.
At the time, the teen was reacting to news that her 15-year-old cousin Mohammed had been shot in the face by Israeli forces with a rubber-coated steel bullet earlier in the day, leaving him in critical condition.
The teen’s arrest drew international condemnation and again put the spotlight on Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, especially Palestinian youth.
Israeli forces initiated a crackdown on Nabi Saleh after the video went viral, arresting residents and shooting dead Ahed’s 21-year-old relative Izz al-Din Tamimi during a raid on the village last month.
Tamimi’s cousin Mohammed, who is still healing from his injuries, has also been detained by Israeli forces twice since Israeli forces shot the teen in the face.
CAPTION: Palestinian activist and campaigner Ahed Tamimi (C) arrives in her West Bank village of Nabi Saleh on July 29 after being released from prison.
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