An Israeli army officer was dismissed from duty Sunday for throwing a stun grenade at Palestinian children in the West Bank, an army statement said.

It said the low-ranking officer underwent a disciplinary hearing and was sentenced to 14 days in prison before being discharged from service. No one was wounded in the incident.

Palestinians have frequently complained that Israeli officers and soldiers are rarely punished for mistreatment of Palestinian civilians.

"A deputy company commander in an infantry battalion was relieved from his duties, following inappropriate behavior toward Palestinian civilians," the statement said.

"Several weeks ago, during operational activity (near a Jewish settlement) the officer used a shock grenade at a group of youngsters gathered alongside the road."

In a separate case, the statement said a soldier was sentenced to 35 days in prison for kicking a Palestinian during an argument near the West Bank city of Qalqilya.

The unusual statement came weeks after Israel's army chief criticized hard-line security measures against the Palestinian population during a three-year-old uprising led by militants.

(China Daily November 17, 2003)