 "This undated family photo provided by the International Solidarity Movement on Friday, September 6, 2024 shows Aysenur Ezgi Eygi of Seattle. File Image/AP")
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old Turkish-American and recent graduate of the University of Washington, was allegedly killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank on Friday while participating in a protest against Israeli settlement expansion.
Eygi was struck by a live bullet to the head during the demonstration near the town of Beita. Eyewitnesses said that Eygi was not posing any threat at the time of the shooting, which occurred after a period of relative calm following earlier clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers.
The protest had begun with a communal prayer held by dozens of Palestinians and international activists. Shortly afterward, confrontations broke out between protesters, who were throwing stones, and Israeli forces, who responded with tear gas and live ammunition.
Eygi was shot as the clashes subsided, with soldiers on the roof of a nearby house reportedly firing into the crowd. Two Palestinian doctors confirmed that she was shot in the head, and efforts to save her life were unsuccessful.
Eygi had travelled to the West Bank just two days before her death and was attending the weekly demonstration that regularly protests the expansion of Israeli settlements. This demonstration near the Israeli settlement of Evyatar has often seen confrontations between protesters and Israeli forces, with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) reporting that 17 Palestinians have been killed in the same location since March 2020.
The Israeli military stated that they were looking into reports of the incident, noting that their troops had been responding to “instigators of violent activity.” The US government, which confirmed Eygi’s death, called on Israel to investigate the circumstances of the shooting. The White House stated it was “deeply disturbed” by the killing of a US citizen.
Who was Aysenur Ezgi Eygi?
Born in Turkey and raised in Seattle, Eygi held dual Turkish and American citizenship. She moved to the US as an infant and grew up in Seattle, where she attended local schools, including Seattle Public Schools and Seattle Central College, before transferring to the University of Washington (UW).
Eygi graduated from UW in the spring of 2023 with a degree in psychology. She had expressed an interest in pursuing further studies, including the possibility of a doctorate in Near East archaeology.
At UW, Eygi was an active participant in several political causes, including pro-Palestinian activism. In the spring of 2023, she was involved in organising a protest encampment related to the war in Gaza, during which she and other protesters engaged in negotiations with the university’s administration.
Eygi was known for her work in coordinating teach-ins and other educational programming at the encampment, which ultimately led to an agreement that included scholarships for students displaced by the Israel-Hamas war.
Eygi was also involved in previous protests, such as demonstrations against the Dakota Access Pipeline in the United States, and was known for advocating on various human rights issues.
Her involvement in the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a group that supports Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation, reflected her broader commitment to these causes. ISM has reported that three of its activists have been killed since 2000 while participating in protests against Israeli actions in Palestinian territories.
Her former professors and friends described her as a dedicated and passionate advocate. One former professor at UW, Dr. Nadine Naber, recalled Eygi as someone deeply committed to human rights and willing to go to great lengths to defend the vulnerable, reported The Seattle Times.
Another close friend from Seattle, Maria Clark, spoke of Eygi’s courage and her unwavering belief in the importance of activism. “Ezgi believed in standing up for what’s right, no matter the cost,” said Clark. “She was fearless.”
A fellow organiser in Seattle, Amir Patel, stated that Eygi had always been at the forefront of protests. He recounted her participation in the Black Lives Matter marches in Seattle, where she often carried signs calling for justice not only in the US but also in Palestine.
“Ezgi had this ability to connect struggles across borders,” Patel remarked, “She saw the links between oppression in the US, Palestine, and elsewhere. Her activism was global.”
Other friends highlighted her compassionate personality. “She was a listener, someone who cared deeply about people and always tried to help others understand complex issues,” said fellow activist Laura McKenzie. “She wanted justice not just for Palestinians, but for everyone who faced oppression.”
How did the shooting happen?
Eygi’s death has drawn widespread condemnation from both local and international figures. Eyewitnesses to the shooting, including fellow ISM activists Jonathan Pollak and Mariam Dag, provided detailed accounts of the events leading to her death.
Pollak described seeing soldiers on a rooftop aiming at the crowd before Eygi was shot. Dag similarly stated that she saw the gunfire that struck Eygi and a Palestinian protester, noting that the shots appeared to come from the direction of Israeli forces.
Two doctors confirmed that Eygi had been shot in the head: Dr. Ward Basalat, who provided first aid at the scene, and Dr. Fouad Naffa, the director of Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, where Eygi was transported. Despite their efforts, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital.
How did the US & Turkey react?
Following the incident, US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew expressed concern over Eygi’s death, stating that the US government was gathering more information about the circumstances.
“We are aware of the tragic death of an American citizen, Aysenur Eygi, today in the West Bank,” Lew posted on X on Friday. “We are 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.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed these sentiments, noting that the US was “intensely focused” on understanding what happened. He also stated that the US would take necessary steps once the investigation’s findings were made clear.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry also condemned the killing, with spokesperson Oncu Keceli stating that Turkey would push to ensure that those responsible were held accountable. Human rights organisations have criticised the lack of accountability for Israeli soldiers involved in similar incidents, pointing to previous cases where soldiers were not prosecuted or received light sentences.
What is happening in the West Bank?
Eygi’s killing took place amid an intensification of violence in the West Bank following the Israel-Hamas war that began in October 2023. The West Bank has seen a sharp increase in Israeli military raids, attacks by Palestinian militants, and violence between Israeli settlers and Palestinians.
According to Palestinian health officials, over 690 Palestinians have been killed in the region since the conflict escalated. Eygi’s death is one of several recent incidents involving the deaths of foreign nationals in the region.
A month earlier, an American, Amado Sison, was shot in the leg by Israeli forces during a similar protest in Beita. Additionally, two Palestinian-American teenagers, Mohammad Khdour and Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, were killed by Israeli fire while driving near their villages.
US Senator Chris Van Hollen has criticised the Biden administration for not doing enough to pursue justice in these cases, calling for greater accountability for American citizens harmed in the conflict.
In response to the growing violence, several US lawmakers, including Senator Patty Murray and Representative Pramila Jayapal, issued statements condemning Eygi’s killing and the broader situation in the West Bank.
Murray described the expansion of Israeli settlements as destabilising and called for an end to settler violence, while Jayapal criticised the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
The International Solidarity Movement, which described Eygi as a martyr, has been vocal in its opposition to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
The group has pointed to previous incidents involving the deaths of activists such as Rachel Corrie, who was killed in Gaza in 2003 while attempting to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home, and Tom Hurndall, a British ISM activist shot in Gaza that same year.
Will those responsible be held accountable?
Eygi’s death has prompted widespread calls for accountability. Human rights organisations have raised concerns over the lack of prosecutions for Israeli soldiers involved in fatal shootings of both Palestinians and international activists.
The Israeli military has stated that it investigates incidents involving the deaths of civilians, but rights groups claim that these investigations rarely lead to meaningful consequences.
In 2022, the death of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh similarly drew global attention. Abu Akleh was shot while covering an Israeli military raid in the West Bank. In Abu Akleh’s case as well, eyewitnesses confirmed that Israeli forces on the same street fired deliberately on the reporters on what seemed to be a targeted attack.
US officials concluded that an Israeli soldier likely killed her, although Israel stopped short of launching a criminal investigation. Eygi’s death has once again highlighted concerns about the safety of foreign nationals and civilians in the region.
Also Read | Shireen Abu Akleh: ‘Crime of execution’ raises fear for journalists
With inputs from agencies