Turkish-American Activist Killed by Israeli Troops During West Bank Protest
Israeli troops shot and killed a Turkish-American woman who was participating in a protest against settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Friday, according to Palestinian and Turkish officials. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with both the White House and Turkey demanding investigations.
The woman, identified as 26-year-old Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, was shot in the head, according to Turkey’s Foreign Ministry, which blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for her death. Eygi, who held dual US and Turkish citizenship, was an activist from Seattle who had recently graduated from the University of Washington, where she studied psychology and Middle Eastern languages and cultures.
The White House expressed deep concern over Eygi’s death, with National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett calling it a “tragic death” and urging Israel to conduct a thorough investigation. “We have reached out to the Government of Israel to ask for more information and request an investigation into the incident,” Savett said.
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The Israeli military acknowledged that its troops fired at a male “main instigator” who posed a threat by throwing rocks at soldiers. They confirmed they were investigating reports that a foreign national woman had been killed as a result of the gunfire.
Fouad Nafaa, the head of Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, where Eygi was taken, reported that she arrived in critical condition with a severe head injury. Despite attempts to save her, Eygi was pronounced dead.
Eygi was participating in a regular protest march by activists in the village of Beita, near Nablus, a location frequently targeted by Israeli settlers. Her family described her as a “fiercely passionate human rights activist” who had been involved in protests against US support for Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan condemned Eygi’s death, vowing that Turkey would “continue to work in every platform to halt Israel’s policy of occupation and genocide.” Israel denies accusations that its actions in the occupied Palestinian territories amount to genocide.
