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Reuters
Khairy Hanoun compared what happened to him to the murder of George Floyd in the United States.
A state of condemnation ensued after the circulation of a video clip showing an Israeli soldier with his knee resting on the neck of a Palestinian militant lying on the ground during a protest in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli army said it is investigating the incident against well-known activist Khairy Hanoun, who was in his 60s.
In the video, the Israeli soldier is shown pushing Hanoun and shoving him to the ground, before kneeling on the activist’s neck and head for 50 seconds.
The Israeli army said its forces acted sparingly during the protest.
He added that the video: “It is fragmentary, skewed (the corner), and does not show the riots and violence practiced against the armed forces that occurred before the arrest.”
The video was recorded during protests on Tuesday against the construction of settlements in the town of Shofa, near Nablus. The settlements are illegal under international law, but Israel is against it.
“Several elders participated in the march, believing that the Israeli soldiers would not attack us, but our belief was wrong. They attacked us like bandits,” Hanon was quoted as saying by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
“I am 60 years old. What can I do for an armed soldier? But as for the officer on the scene, he seems to pose a threat. Within minutes he began to brutally attack me.”
He compared what happened to him to what happened to black American George Floyd, who died on May 25 after a police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes in Minneapolis, even though he screamed that he could not breathe. His death triggered a protest movement that continues.
“This is what I felt,” said Hanoun. “I felt like I was suffocating.” He was released and returned home.
Several Palestinian media outlets aired the video, which a Palestinian official described as “brutal”.
The Israeli army said that about 200 people participated in “violent riots” in Shufa, and that its soldiers were attacked and stoned.
He added: “At one point, a Palestinian, known to be one of the main instigators involved in many riots in the West Bank, pushed the commander of the military force several times and tried to create a provocation.”
“The commander showed restraint, but after several attacks against him, the forces had to arrest the suspect.”
“The suspect also resisted arrest, and force had to handcuff him. After his arrest, the suspect received medical treatment at the scene.”
