West Bank Hebron: Yesterday, Israel freed 12-year-old Palestinian girl, Dima Al Wawi from prison, more than two months after jailing her for an alleged attempted stabbing attack. Wawi was handed over to Palestinian authorities at Tulkarem crossing point into the northern West Bank.

Wawi was arrested, wearing her school uniform, on Feb 9 at the entrance to an illegal Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank and found to be carrying a knife. Under a plea bargain with Israeli military prosecutors, Wawi pleaded guilty to attempted murder and possession of a knife and was sentenced to four months in an Israeli prison and a further six-week suspended sentence.

“She is the youngest Palestinian girl ever imprisoned,” her lawyer Tariq Barghouth posted on Facebook. Barghouth said that Wawi’s defence team had asked the military court for her early release and it agreed. According to Israeli military law, minors from age 12 can be charged, uniquely in the world according to United Nations children’s agency Unicef.