ReutersPhotos have been released of a young Palestinian girl biting an Israeli soldier in a bid to prevent a young boy from being detained.
The boy, who has his arm wrapped in a sling, was accused of throwing stones at Israeli forces at the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh during a protest against the building of Jewish settlements in the area.
The girl, believed to be Ahed Tamimi, daughter of well known Palestinian activists Bassem and Nariman, can be seen sinking her teeth into the Israeli Defence Force soldier’s hand as he pins the injured boy on a rock with his legs.
ReutersShe went to the extreme measure as several other women struggled to wrestle the soldier away from the child.
Following the violent scenes the IDF released the boy back to the protesters.
It is not the first time Tamimi has confronted Israeli forces, and she has previously received the ‘Handala Award for Courage’ from Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for her activism.
The altercation is another sad addition to an ever-increasing list of clashes between Israel and Palestine, and whilst it is naïve to place blame at the door of either side, the force used against the defenceless boy does appear excessive.
The only solace that can be taken on this occasion is that it did not escalate further.
