The trial of a Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi, who was seen in a video slapping and kicking two Israeli soldiers in December, has been adjourned until next month.
A military judge ordered the trial take place behind closed doors after 17-year-old Ahed Tamimi arrived at court on Tuesday morning, ordering all observers except her family out of the room.
The girl was arrested on 19 December after footage emerged of her slapping, punching and kicking Israeli troops in a confrontation near her home in the West Bank.
She was reportedly upset after learning that her 15-year-old cousin had been seriously injured after being shot in the head by a rubber bullet during stone-throwing clashes nearby.
The high-profile case has drawn widespread criticism of Israel for the military prosecution of the minor, who turned 17 in detention last month.
Ahed Tamimi's trial has already been delayed twice since its scheduled start date of 31 January. She remains in custody at Ofer prison.
Human rights organisations estimate around 350 Palestinian children are currently in Israeli jails.
The girl's Israeli lawyer, Gaby Lasky, accused the court of wishing to hide the proceedings from a watching world, against her family's wishes.
“[Israeli Judges] did not want to have international eyes inside the courtroom,” the lawyer told family and journalists after the decision to adjourn the trial was announced.
She stressed that the Israeli military court, where Ahed Tamimi is being heard, “is illegal because it affiliates to an illegal occupation.”
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