A plea bargain was reportedly reached between Mr Tamimi and Israeli prosecutors, with the murderer acknowledging he was mentally ill.
According to the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, the Palestinian man, who had previously attempted to commit suicide by swallowing a razor blade, appeared to have carried out the attack with the intention that he would then be shot and killed by Israelis.
The prosecutor at the Jerusalem District Court, discussing the decision not to press for a life sentence, said: “this was not a terrorist incident ... This was a terrible murder carried out by a mentally ill person."
But Maurice Hirsch, the Israeli lawyer representing Ms Bladon’s family, described his clients as being “outraged by the leniency of the sentence. They expected that Hannah’s murderer would spend the rest of his life behind bars.
"For the family, it makes no difference whether this was a terror attack or just another crazed murderer.”
Reuters reported that Tamimi apologised for the killing in court, saying “"I'm sorry. I wish I could take her [Hannah Bladon's] place. I did not mean to murder her. I don't know how it happened.”
