The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) distributed a guideline on Tuesday for soldiers following a video in which an IDF senior officer could be seen hitting a foreign pro- Palestinian activist.

The instruction sheet was handed out to the units in the West Bank in order to avoid provocative situations which media, whether local or foreign, "looking for strong images" could exploit.

"Remember it takes only 10 seconds out of hours of video footage to cause irreparable damage to the image of the soldiers, the army and the state," the guideline read, Ynet news site reported on Tuesday.

"The media does not reflect reality as a mirror, but rather shapes and influences it. The Palestinians make good use of this tool. It's important to be the one leading and not the one being led," the document read.

This guideline comes in the heels of a video which shows an IDF officer hitting a Danish pro-Palestinian activist in the face with his M-16 rifle and pushing around other members of a biking protest.

The controversial video was filmed on Saturday during a protest with over 200 participants in the Jordan Valley, organized by the Palestinian NGO International Solidarity Movement.

The incident prompted the Danish ambassador to Israel to ask for clarifications on the matter on Monday.