Israeli court jails Palestinian girl over alleged stabbing attempt

An Israeli court sentenced a Palestinian girl from the West Bank city of Ramallah to 18 months in prison, the Palestinian Prisoners Club (PPC) said on Monday.

The PPC in a statement identified the girl as 15-year-old Natalie Shoukha.

Shoukha's lawyer said that she was accused of attempting to stab an Israeli soldier.

Shoukha was arrested on April 29 after she allegedly attacked Israeli soldiers with a knife. She was injured in the incident.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Detainees Affairs Commission said that Israel detains over 400 Palestinian children in its jails, dozens of whom are sentenced for lengthy periods of time.

Last month, Israel sentenced 12-year-old Ahmad Manasra to imprisonment for attempted stabbing, and two others aged 16 and 15 to 11 years in jail.

Palestinians strongly criticized Israeli government measures under which it took a series of gradual legislation in the past two years to allow doubling punishment of Palestinian children for hurling stones.

source: Xinhua