Video footage shows Israeli soldiers sic dogs on Palestinian teen

A video footage surfaced Monday on the internet shows Israeli soldiers siccing two attack dogs on an unarmed Palestinian youth during a protest in the West Bank.

In the video, the teen is heard crying in pain while being held by soldiers and military dogs attack him on both of his left and right sides.

Israeli Channel 2 TV news said the soldiers caught 16-year-old Hamzeh Abu Hashem after he allegedly hurled stones at them. One of the soldiers can be heard ordering the dog: "get him!"

Abu Hashem was later taken by ambulance to an Israeli hospital, where Israeli security forces arrested him and took him to Ofer Prison, Abu's family said.

The incident occurred on Dec. 23, 2014, near the village of Beit Ummar, northwest of Hebron city. Clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians erupted in the area as Palestinians were protesting against the expropriation of lands by the nearby settlement of Carmei Zur.

The video has been posted on facebook and then spreading across the web.

A spokesperson with the Israeli military said that the army has launched an investigation into the case. "Upon receiving the video, the military commander in charge ordered the immediate launch of an investigation of the incident, at the end of which the necessary steps will be taken in order to prevent such cases from reoccurring," said the spokesperson.

A military official told Channel 2 Online News that "this is a highly exceptional case that we cannot allow to happen. These soldiers will be dealt with, and one must understand that we see this very severely.

It is unclear what the circumstances which brought about the incident are." Endit