Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi is among 50 Palestinian prisoners listed by the Prime Minister's Office as candidates to be released if the hostage exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas is extended an additional two days.
Tamimi, who is known for a 2017 video showing her physically confronting IDF soldiers, has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance in pro-Palestine circles. She was arrested November 6 on suspicion of inciting violence and calling for terrorist acts.
Who is Ahed Tamimi?
Tamimi, 22, gained prominence in her community for her violent actions against the IDF and has been deemed by many as a national hero for West Bank Palestinians.
"We are waiting for you in all the West Bank cities from Hebron to Jenin - we will slaughter you and you will say that what Hitler did to you was a joke," Tamimi wrote on social media in early November. "We will drink your blood and eat your skull. Come on, we are waiting for you," she wrote.
Tamimi has a history with the IDF – in March 2018, Tamimi was convicted on four counts of assaulting an IDF officer and soldier, incitement, and interference with IDF forces, and was sentenced to eight months in prison and eight months of probation. She was released on July 29, 2018, after serving her full prison term.
The Council on American–Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, called on US President Joe Biden to pressure the Israeli government to release Tamimi shortly after her November arrest.
“The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the Biden administration to demand the Israeli government release Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi and end the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank by government-backed settlers,” CAIR wrote in a press release.
Joanie Margulies contributed to this report.