US-Turkish activist killed 'unlawfully and violently by Israeli military', says family as they call for investigation

The family of an American-Turkish activist have described their “shock and grief” and demanded an independent investigation into her “unlawful killing” after she was reportedly shot by Israeli forces.

Palestinian and Turkish officials said Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was shot in the head in the village of Beita, near Nablus, during a protest on Friday against the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Israel said troops had “responded with fire toward a main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks at the forces and posed a threat to them”.

On Friday Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the United Nations secretary general, called for a “full investigation” and for people to “be held accountable” adding that “civilians must be must be protected at all times”.

In a statement released on Instagram by Ms Eygi’s family, they described their “shock and grief” adding “she was gentle, brave, silly, supportive, and a ray of sunshine”.

Ms Eygi, who was a volunteer at the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), was a “fiercely passionate human rights activist” and “strong, beautiful and nourishing” who was “taken needlessly, unlawfully and violently by the Israeli military”, her family said.

“Aysenur just turned 26 and graduated three months ago from the University of Washington, where she studied Psychology and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures… Aysenur felt compelled to travel to the West Bank to stand in solidarity with Palestinian civilians who continue to endure ongoing repression and violence.”

Her family has also insisted that “an Israeli investigation is not adequate” and demanded the US intervene “to order an independent investigation into the unlawful killing of a US citizen and to ensure full accountability for the guilty parties”.

The White House said it was “deeply disturbed” by the death of Ms Eygi and called on Israel to investigate.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken called it a “tragic loss” and said American officials are “intensely focused” on establishing the facts.

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Turkey describes death as ‘murder’

Turkey‘s foreign ministry described her death as “murder”, with President Tayyip Erdogan saying he would “continue to work in every platform to halt Israel’s policy of occupation and genocide”.

Israel denies its actions in occupied Palestinian territories amounts to genocide.

Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli participating in Friday’s protest, said the shooting happened shortly after dozens of Palestinians and international activists gathered on a hillside outside the northern West Bank town of Beita, overlooking the Israeli settlement of Evyatar.

Shots heard from rooftop

Mr Pollak said Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and live ammunition at Palestinians who were throwing stones, and later two soldiers on the roof of a nearby home aimed a gun in the group’s direction and fired.

Mariam Dag, another ISM activist at the protest, also said she saw an Israeli soldier on a rooftop, then heard two shots and saw blood coming from Ms Eygi’s head.

Two doctors confirmed to the Associated Press news agency that Ms Eygi was shot in the head – Dr Ward Basalat, who administered first aid at the scene, and Dr Fouad Naffa, director of Rafidia Hospital in Nablus where she was taken.

ISM claimed 17 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces at the weekly Beita protests since March 2020.

Tried to stop her

Aria Fani, a professor of Middle Eastern languages and cultures at the University of Washington where Ms Eygi recently graduated, recalled how he had tried to talk her out of going to the West Bank.

Mr Fani said she told him “she needed to bear witness for the sake of her own humanity”.

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Last week, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) launched raids across the occupied West Bank and sealed off the city of Jenin in what the Israeli foreign minister described as a “full-fledged war” against “Islamic-Iranian terrorist infrastructures”.

The armed wings of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah said in separate statements that their gunmen were fighting Israeli forces in the three West Bank areas.

In August, dozens of Israeli settlers, some wearing masks, attacked a West Bank village and torched homes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he viewed it with the “utmost severity” – but his military has been accused of standing by as attacks take place.

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