Lagatar24 Desk
Ramallah: Israeli forces shot and killed Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi during a protest against settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian and Turkish officials confirmed on Friday. The 26-year-old was participating in a demonstration in Beita, a village near Nablus, when she was fatally struck by a bullet, sparking outrage and demands for an investigation.
The White House expressed its deep concern over Eygi’s death and called on Israel to conduct a thorough investigation. Turkey’s foreign ministry also condemned the incident, holding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government responsible. Eygi, a recent graduate from the University of Washington in Seattle, had been a passionate human rights activist and held dual U.S. and Turkish citizenship.
Eygi’s death occurred during a protest against settlement expansion, where Israeli troops reportedly fired at demonstrators. Israel’s military stated that its troops had fired toward a male “main instigator” who was throwing rocks at soldiers. The military is currently reviewing the details of Eygi’s death, and there has been no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office.
Eygi was rushed to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, but despite resuscitation efforts, she succumbed to her head injuries. “We tried to save her, but she was critically wounded,” said Fouad Nafaa, head of the hospital.
Eygi’s family described her as a “fiercely passionate human rights activist” who had recently protested U.S. support for Israel’s actions in Gaza. “She was deeply committed to bearing witness to the oppression of people,” said her professor, Aria Fani, who recalled begging her not to go to the West Bank.
The White House’s National Security Council spokesperson, Sean Savett, said, “We are deeply disturbed by the tragic death of an American citizen.” U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen also called for greater accountability, noting that Eygi was the third American killed in the West Bank since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan condemned the incident and reiterated Turkey’s opposition to Israel’s policies, calling for international intervention. Meanwhile, Israel refuted claims of genocide, stating that its actions in the occupied territories are legal under historical and biblical ties to the land.
Eygi’s death follows rising violence in the West Bank, including another incident on Friday in which a 13-year-old Palestinian girl was killed by Israeli gunfire after settlers attacked the village of Qaryut. The escalating tensions between settlers and Palestinians have prompted widespread international concern, including sanctions by the U.S. on some Israeli settlers involved in recent violence.
The West Bank remains a critical flashpoint in the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians seeking the area as part of their future independent state, while Israel continues to build settlements, which most countries consider illegal.
As calls for justice continue, Eygi’s tragic death underscores the volatile situation in the region and the increasing involvement of international voices demanding accountability.
