Israel extends trial of Palestinian teen 'hero' Ahed Tamimi

The trial of Palestinian protest icon Ahed Tamimi before an Israeli military court has been postponed for a week and is now scheduled to begin on February 13.

Tamimi, who turned 17 in prison last week, was charged with assault and incitement after she slapped and punched two Israeli soldiers in her West Bank village in December, after her cousin was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier.

The incident was captured on video and widely shared online.

Ahed's supporters say it symbolises the Palestinians' David vs. Goliath struggle against Israel's decades-long military occupation. Israel has portrayed her actions as a staged provocation meant to embarrass the army.

Defence lawyer Gaby Lasky said on Sunday that the trial, which was set to begin Tuesday, was delayed because the prosecution was slow in sharing evidence.

The new starting date was confirmed by the military.

Tamimi has been lauded as a hero by Palestinians after the December video went viral. The video appears to have been filmed next to the Tamimi house in Nabi Saleh near Ramallah.

The Tamimi family says a relative was shot in the head with a rubber bullet during protests the same day the video was filmed.

The footage shows Tamimi and her cousin approaching two Israeli soldiers and telling them to leave before shoving, kicking and slapping them.

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 Tamimi's mother Nariman gets involved.

The incident occurred during a day of clashes across the West Bank against US President Donald Trump's controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Violence since Trump's decision has left dozens of Palestinians dead, with most killed in clashes with Israeli forces.

See in pictures: Ahed Tamimi resisting occupation through the years