The European Union condemned “in the strongest terms” the killing of a Palestinian child yesterday.
The EU statement comes in the aftermath of the murder of 16-year-old Mohamed Abu Khdair, who was burnt to death by Israeli extremists.
“We express our sincere condolences to his family and friends and share their grief. The perpetrators of this act must be brought to justice. We welcome the announcement by the Israeli authorities of a swift investigation,” the statement said.
The EU urged all parties “to exercise maximum restraint.”
Israeli police found the charred corpse of Abu Khdair yesterday morning in a forest near Deir Yassin village in West Jerusalem. A video tape recorded by the security camera of a shop located next to the victim’s home revealed that Israeli settlers kidnapped him while he was heading to perform the dawn prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque.
It is widely believed that Israeli settlers kidnapped and murdered the Palestinian boy in retaliation for the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli settlers in the West Bank.