Rights group protests IDF’s use of dogs

An Israeli human rights group criticizes the military’s use of dogs at protests, citing the case of a Palestinian teenager who was bitten after he threw rocks at troops in the West Bank.

Sarit Michaeli of B’tselem says the footage, broadcast today on Israeli media, was filmed in December. She says troops set the dog on a crowd of Palestinians throwing rocks and the animal bit the 16-year-old.

Michaeli says the youth was taken to hospital and later sentenced to over a year in prison for throwing rocks and a firebomb in separate incidents.

She says dogs are unnecessary as the military has other means to disperse Palestinian rock-throwers.

The Israeli military says it launched an inquiry into the incident and is taking measures to prevent it happening again.

— AP