Israel sentences Palestinian to 18 years for throwing Molotov

An Israeli military court sentenced a Palestinian to 18 years in prison on Tuesday for allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at an Israeli occupier's car in 2014, which injured two Israelis, including an 11-year-old girl.

Muhammad Badwan was among 14 Palestinians who were detained from the village of Azzun in the northern occupied West Bank district of Qalqiliya in December 2014 following the incident, which occurred in the illegal Israeli settlement of Maale Shomeron just north of the village.

Badwan was sentenced to 18 years in prison and was ordered to pay a fine of 50,000 shekels ($14,220) for allegedly throwing the Molotov cocktail that had hit the Israeli settler car.

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank face harsh penalties by Israeli authorities for throwing rocks or Molotov cocktails at Israeli soldiers and settlers, particularly when the targets are Israeli vehicles.

Palestinians can be sentenced for up to 20 years for throwing a rock at an Israeli vehicle, while Palestinians face a minimum of three years in prison for the act of throwing a rock at an Israeli.

According to prisoners’ rights group Addameer, 6,200 Palestinians were held in Israeli prisons as of May, including 490 without charge or trial.