A 16-year-old Palestinian girl was charged with assault by an Israeli court on Monday after video footage showed her hitting an armed Israeli soldier in the face.

Ahed Tamimi is accused of other attacks on Israeli security forces as well.

Her mother, Nariman, was also been charged by the Israeli military court in the West Bank with causing bodily harm and for incitement, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Monday.

Both were arrested last month in the village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah, according to the Palestinian Wafa news agency.

In a video that quickly spread through social media sites, Tamimi, her mother and another relative appear to be trying to start a confrontation with two Israeli soldiers. Tamimi walks up and hits the man, and a punch lands on his face.

If she is found guilty by the military court, she could face a lengthy prison sentence.

The soldiers hardly react, walking around the same spot but not moving away.

In Israel, the soldiers have been praised for their reserve and Tamimi criticized for being provocative.

In Arab media, however, Tamimi has been held up as a hero and celebrated as a symbol of the Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation.