The family of a Turkish-American activist shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank has urged the United States to launch an independent investigation into her killing, saying an Israeli probe was “inadequate.”
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was shot dead by an Israeli soldier while participating in a protest against illegal Israeli settlements near the West Bank village of Beita, close to the city of Nablus, on Friday, according to witnesses and local authorities.
An autopsy confirmed that Eygi, who died of her injuries in a Nablus hospital, was killed by a sniper bullet to the head, Nablus governor Ghassan Daghlas told Tel Aviv Tribune on Saturday.
Nablus, the governorate where Beita is located, will hold an official ceremony commemorating Eygi after his body is handed over to his family, Daghlas said.
“A U.S. citizen, Aysenur was peacefully fighting for justice when she was killed,” her family said in a statement Saturday, describing her as a “fiercely passionate human rights activist.”
“His presence in our lives was needlessly, illegally and violently removed by the Israeli military,” the statement said.
Israeli reaction
In response to Eygi’s killing, the Israeli military said its forces shot “one of the main instigators of violent activity who threw stones at them” during a protest, and that it was investigating reports that a foreign national had been killed.
Eygi is a member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a pro-Palestinian organization. On Saturday, the group denied accusations that its activists threw stones at Israeli forces, saying the protest was peaceful.
Several witnesses said that an Israeli sniper, stationed on a nearby rooftop, shot Eygi after she moved into an olive grove.
“A sniper fired from a building – one or two shots – and they targeted and killed Aysenur,” said British human rights activist Rob Sadler, disputing the idea that she posed a threat to Israeli forces.
In doing this work, Aysenur “made the ultimate sacrifice,” Sadler told Tel Aviv Tribune. “But we will continue to work on her behalf and make sure her sacrifice was not in vain. We will continue to put pressure on Israel until Palestine is free.”
“Involuntary manslaughter”
US National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said President Joe Biden’s administration was “deeply troubled by (Eygi’s) tragic death” and had called on Israel to investigate.
However, Eygi’s defenders doubt that an Israeli investigation will clarify all the facts or ensure accountability of the perpetrators.
“If they leave the investigation to the Israeli army, it will last for weeks and months and then it will be forgotten, like the many cases before this one,” Sultan Barakat, a professor of public policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, told Tel Aviv Tribune.
Eygi’s family said an Israeli investigation was not sufficient “given the circumstances” and urged the United States to handle it.
“We call on President Biden, Vice President (Kamala) Harris, and Secretary of State (Antony) Blinken to order an independent investigation into the unlawful killing of an American citizen and ensure full accountability for those responsible,” the family said.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric also called for a “full investigation”, saying that “civilians must be protected at all times”.
“It’s not unprecedented”
Eygi is not the first American citizen to be killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank.
Earlier this year, an off-duty Israeli police officer and a settler opened fire and killed Tawfiq Ajaq, a 17-year-old U.S. citizen, near his ancestral village of al-Mazraa ash-Sharqiya. An investigation into the case is ongoing.
In 2022, an Israeli sniper shot and killed American citizen and Tel Aviv Tribune journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was reporting from the Jenin refugee camp at the time.
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen said Eygi was the third American to be killed in the West Bank since October 7 and that the Biden administration “has not done enough to achieve justice and accountability on their behalf.”
“It’s unfortunate but it’s not unprecedented,” Tarek Khalil, a US lawyer and Palestinian rights activist, told Tel Aviv Tribune. “This is another incident, another horrific killing of an innocent person who is protesting.”