'Deeply Disturbed': US, Turkey react to 'barbaric' death of American-Turkish national in West Bank

The White House said that it was “deeply disturbed” after reports emerged that a Turkish-US national was shot dead during protests against Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Things became even more complicated for the US after Palestinian officials and witnesses said that a woman named Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was shot dead in the head by the Israeli forces.

The US Department of State confirmed the death of the 26-year-old volunteer peace activist who was working with the anti-occupation International Solidarity Movement (ISM). Shortly after the confirmation, the White House called for Israel to investigate her death. Eygi’s killing garnered strong reactions from the world since she is a US-Turkey dual national.

What ISM said about the matter

The ISM where Eygi was working, said in a statement that the Israeli forces “intentionally shot and killed” an international human rights activist during the weekly protest on Friday morning. However, the initial statement did not name the volunteer.

More from World

Nepal's new PM pays homage to people died during the Gen Z protest in her first national address This Week in Explainers: How recovering from Gen-Z protests is a Himalayan task for Nepal

“The demonstration, which primarily involved men and children praying, was met with violence from the Israeli army stationed on a hill. The volunteer died shortly after being transported to a local hospital in Nablus,” the ISM statement reads.

The body maintained that the Eygi’s family had requested privacy to mourn the loss. “Their wish to grieve in peace should be respected by all, as they navigate this tragic and difficult situation," the statement furthered. The White House later confirmed the identity of the victim. However, they still have not said that Eygi was shot by Israeli troops stationed in the region.

White House’s reaction 

US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller commented on the tragic news and urged the Israeli authorities to investigate the matter. “We are urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death, and will have more to say as we learn more,” Miller said in a press briefing on Friday.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

Trump urges Nato to back sanctions on Russia, calls for 50–100% tariffs on China

Meanwhile, the US ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, echoed similar comments. “We are aware of the tragic death of an American citizen, Aysenur Eygi, today in the West Bank. We offer our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones,” he said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “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,”  he added.

We are aware of the tragic death of an American citizen, Aysenur Eygi, today in the West Bank. We offer our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. We are urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death, and will have more to say as we learn…

— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@USAmbIsrael) September 6, 2024

The White House maintained that it is in contact with the Israeli government regarding an investigation of the matter. “We are deeply disturbed by the tragic death of an American citizen, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, today in the West Bank and our hearts go out to her family and loved ones,” said Sean Savett, the White House’s National Security Council spokesperson.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Eygi’s death a “tragic loss”. “When we have more info, we will share it, make it available and, as necessary, we’ll act on it,” Blinken told reporters, AFP reported.

How is Turkey reacting to the incident?

Since Eygi is a Turkish national as well, Turkey’s foreign ministry said it had learned “with great sorrow” about her death. Condemning the whole ordeal, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described the attack as Israel’s “barbaric intervention against a civilian protest". “I condemn Israel’s barbaric intervention against a civilian protest against the occupation in the West Bank and pray to God to have mercy on our citizen Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, who lost her life in the attack,” the Turkish president wrote on X.

“As Turkey, we will continue to work on every platform to end Israel’s occupation and genocide policy, which has been continuing for almost a year and has killed 41 thousand people, including children, young and old, and to make it account for its crimes against humanity before the law,” he furthered.

İsrail’in Batı Şeria’daki işgal karşıtı sivil bir protestoya karşı yaptığı barbarca müdahaleyi lanetliyor, saldırıda hayatını kaybeden vatandaşımız Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi’ye Allah’tan rahmet niyaz ediyorum.…

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) September 6, 2024

It is pertinent to note that while the Israeli military admitted to firing at the demonstrators, it maintained that it was looking into the reports of a foreign national killed in the attack. Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces said it “responded with fire toward a main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks at the forces and posed a threat to them”.

Interestingly, Eygi is the third ISM activist to have been killed since 2000. She was also the 18th demonstrator to be killed in Beita since 2020. The last time something like this happened was in 2003 when an Israeli army bulldozer killed 23-year-old Rachel Corrie while she was protesting against the Israeli military’s destruction of houses in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. A month later, Tom Hurndall, a 22-year-old Briton, was shot in the head while he was helping Palestinian children cross a street in Rafah. The volunteer died the following year and an Israeli soldier was found guilty of manslaughter.

With inputs from agencies.