Palestinian women in court over Israeli soldier 'slap video'

Two Palestinian women appeared in an Israeli military court Thursday after a viral video showed an alleged assault on Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank, an AFP journalist said.

Nariman Tamimi, 43, and Nour Naji Tamimi, 21, were detained in a case that has set Israeli and Palestinian social media alight.

The video, filmed in the village of Nabi Saleh in the occupied West Bank, shows Nour and her cousin Ahed Tamimi, 17, approaching two Israeli soldiers before shoving, kicking and slapping them while filming on mobile phones.

The heavily armed soldiers do not respond in the face of what appears to be an attempt to provoke rather than seriously harm them.

They then move backwards after Ahed's mother Nariman becomes involved.

A second video shows the two cousins telling the soldiers, apparently standing on the stairs of the family home, to leave.

The court ruled that Nariman and Nour remain in custody until Monday, a military source said, as "their release would likely undermine the investigation".

Ahed, the primary instigator in the videos, appeared before a court on Wednesday and her detention was also extended until Monday.

She is accused of "assaulting a soldier, harming the security of the area, incitement, and other felonies", according to court documents.

The Tamimi family are at the forefront of regular protests in Nabi Saleh, a frequent scene of demonstrations against Israel's occupation of the West Bank.

The residents say part of the village's land was confiscated by Israeli authorities and given to a nearby Israeli settlement.

Palestinians on social media criticised Ahed's arrest - which happened in the middle of the night - arguing it is the people's right to resist military occupation.

A member of the Tamimi family was shot in the head with a rubber bullet during protests on Friday, the family said.