Turkish American activist killed in occupied West Bank
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Turkish American activist Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi. Photo courtesy of Eygi family
A Turkish American citizen was killed during a protest in the occupied West Bank on Friday, the State Department said.
Why it matters: The incident takes place as concerns grow in the Biden administration about the destabilization of the West Bank due to increasing attacks by Palestinian militants against Israelis, escalating raids by the Israel Defense Forces and violence by settlers against Palestinians.
Driving the news: According to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, 26 year-old activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was shot in the head, allegedly by Israeli troops, during a protest in the town of Beita, south of the city of Nablus.
- The local news agency said violence erupted when Israeli forces used live fire and stun grenades to try to disperse the demonstration against Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank.
- The Turkish foreign ministry confirmed Eygi was also a Turkish national.
What they're saying: The IDF said in a statement that during the demonstration "the force responded by shooting at a central instigator who threw stones at the soldiers and posed a threat to our forces."
- "A claim that a foreign citizen was killed by gunfire in the area is being investigated, the details of the incident and the circumstances of her injury are under investigation," the IDF said.
- White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said: "We are deeply disturbed by the tragic death of an American citizen, Aysenur Egzi Eygi, today in the West Bank and our hearts go out to her family and loved ones. We have reached out to the Government of Israel to ask for more information and request an investigation into the incident."
- State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the department is "urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death and will have more to say as we learn more. We have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens."
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
