UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov condemned the Israeli army killing of a Palestinian child in the occupied West Bank and called for a swift and independent investigation into the murder.

On Friday, Israeli soldiers shot and killed Ali Abu Alayya, 13, during a protest against Israeli settlement activities in the village of al-Mughayyer, near Ramallah, in what eye-witnesses described as cold-blooded murder.

Mladenov said in a tweet that he was appalled by the killing of Abu Alayya, and demanded that Israel “swiftly and independently investigate this shocking and unacceptable incident.”

The UN official stressed that children enjoy special protection under international law and must be protected from violence.