In the emotional letter, the judge describes the survivor as "the bravest little girl this court has ever seen".

Despite a brief emergency alert signalling a hijacking, the Israeli prime minister's office confirmed this had been ruled out.

Piracy off the Somali coast has increased in recent years after dropping when international naval operations began in 2011.

Witnesses say Raseel's tent was hit by an Israeli helicopter strike. Israel’s military says it has no record of the attack.