Palestinian girl, 14, freed after six weeks spent in Israeli jail

A 14-year-old Palestinian girl, tried before an Israeli military court for hurling rocks at passing cars in the West Bank and sentenced to two months in prison, was released yesterday. Two weeks had been cut from her sentence.

Her case had gripped Palestinians who say her treatment demonstrated Israel’s excessive measures against stone-throwing youth.

Malak al-Khatib, arrested in December, is one of only a rare few female Palestinian minors who have ever faced arrest and sentencing by Israeli authorities.