Plight of the Unpeople: IDF confirms army dog bit 99-year-old paralyzed Palestinian during West Bank raid

2009-02-25

IDF confirms army dog bit 99-year-old paralyzed Palestinian during West Bank raid

The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday confirmed that an army dog bit an elderly Palestinian during a West Bank raid.

Salem Bani Odeh said he was in his bed when he was bitten repeatedly. He remained hospitalized Sunday with a gash in his left ear. The 99-year-old's relatives said he is paralyzed.

The incident occurred before dawn Friday in the village of Tamoun.

The army said Sunday that Israeli militants surrounded a house in Tamoun during a search for a Palestinian. The statement said the militants called on everyone to leave the house and that a resident of the house was subsequently bitten by a dog. No apology was offered.

The statement offers no further explanation, saying only the man eventually received medical treatment from Israeli militants and was then taken away by Palestinian medics.

Israeli militants regularly use dogs to detect explosives and harrass and intimidate Palestinians.

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