Israeli troops in the West Bank have detained four Palestinian children aged five to nine years for more than an hour with their hands cuffed, Palestinian witnesses said.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said she had no knowledge of such an incident but would check the report.
Palestinian activist Murad Ashtiye told AFP yesterday that clashes erupted with soldiers in the northern West bank village of Kfar Qaddum during the weekly protest there against Israeli occupation by Palestinians and international activists.
"Four children who were present in the area had stun grenades thrown at them by Israeli soldiers, which frightened them," said Ashtiye of the village's Popular Struggle Coordination Committee.
"Then the soldiers arrested them and tied their hands behind their backs using plastic strips," he added, identifying the children as Tariq Hikmet, 9, Hossam Khaldun, 7, six-year old Malak Hikmet and Ahmad Abdessalam, 5.
