Palestinian teenager Tamimi vows to continue resistance

Freed Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi on Sunday called for ending Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territories.

“We will continue the resistance to achieve the freedom of the Palestinian people,” Tamimi told a press conference in the West Bank town of Nabi Saleh, west of Ramallah.

“We must boycott and isolate the [Israeli] occupation and put it on trial,” she said.

TRT World's Ben Said reports.

Tamimi says jail time taught her many things, including how to convey a message for her country.

The 17-year-old girl, who has become an icon of Palestinian resistance, was released along with her mother from Israeli prison on Sunday after an eight-month detention.  

Tamimi has dominated world headlines after a video emerged of her slapping an Israeli soldier during a raid on her home to arrest her brother.  

TRT World spoke to journalist Muhannad Alami in Ramallah, the occupied West Bank, for more.

She was arrested by Israeli forces in December with an Israeli court slapping her with an eight-month detention in March for “attacking” an Israeli soldier.  

In 2012, Istanbul’s Basaksehir Municipality granted Tamimi the prestigious Hanzala Courage Award for defying Israeli soldiers who had just arrested her brother. 

Warm welcome

Tamimi and her mother arrived at a checkpoint near the Palestinian city of Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank, where they were welcomed by many Palestinians.

Her now-familiar image has been painted on Israel's separation wall cutting off the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has praised her and social media has been flooded with support.

But for Israelis, Tamimi is being used by her activist family as a pawn in staged provocations.

Tamimi was arrested in the early hours of December 19, four days after the incident. 

She was 16 at the time.

Her mother Nariman was also arrested, as was her cousin Nour.