Danish government seeks information on beating of activist by Israeli soldier (VIDEO)

The Danish ambassador to Israel said Monday that her government is seeking clarifications regarding the assault of a Danish pro-Palestinian activist that occured over the weekend.

The incident, captured on video, shows Danish pro-Palestinian activist, Andreas Ias, hit on the head with an M-16 rifle by senior IDF officer Lt.-Col. Shalom Eisner on Saturday.

The officer was immediately suspended after the attack and condemned by the Israeli Prime Minister.

According to Haaretz, the incident occured after 250 mostly-Palestinian activists rode their bicycles in the Jordan Valley in protest of the occupation when they were stopped by IDF soldiers.

According to witnesses, the soldiers hit the activists and destroyed their bicycles during a confrontation.

"This behaviour is not characteristic of IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] soldiers and commanders and it has no place in the IDF or in the state of Israel," said the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu according to the BBC.

According to Al Arabiya, the assault was posted online and broadcast on Israeli television over the weekend.

The incident occured a day before a planned "flytilla," in which thousands of activists were planning to arrive at Israel's international airport to protest the occupation of the West Bank.

The event was part of a campaign called "Welcome to Palestine", now in its third year, that attempts to draw attention to the Palestinian occupation.

BBC said organizers expected over 1500 participants to fly in.

Israeli authorities said in advance that it would turn away participants and on Sunday reported it had detained and deported nearly 80 people.

Some European carriers cancelled tickets for at least 300 passengers on their way to Tel Aviv.