Israeli soldier knee on neck, Palestinian man being handcuffed

 Israeli soldier knee on neck, Palestinian man being handcuffed.

Israel's military says it is looking into an incident in which a soldier was filmed with his knee on the neck of a Palestinian man being handcuffed at a protest in the occupied West Bank.

The footage shows Khairi Hanoon, a well-known activist in his 60s, being pushed to the ground by the soldier.

The soldier then places his knee on Mr Hanoon's neck and head for 50 seconds.

The incident prompted Palestinian condemnation, but the Israeli military said its troops acted with restraint.

It said the footage was "only partial, slanted, and does not reflect the rioting and violence toward the army forces that preceded the arrest".

It was filmed during a protest against Israeli settlement construction in the village of Shufa, near Nablus, on Tuesday. The settlements are seen as illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.

"A few elderly people marched, thinking that soldiers wouldn't attack us, but we were mistaken. They attacked us like thugs," Mr Hanoon was quoted as saying by Israel's Haaretz newspaper.

"I'm 60, what can I do to an armed soldier? But for the officer on the scene, I'm a threat, and within minutes he began to brutally attack me."