Protesters gathered in Israel to express outrage after the death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American activist who was killed during a demonstration against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has expressed regret over her death and launched an investigation, but the incident has raised concerns about the use of force by Israeli security forces.
The death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Seattle-based activist who was killed during a protest against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, has sparked outrage and raised concerns about the use of force by Israeli security forces.
American Activist Killed at West Bank Protest Raises Concerns about IDF Tactics
Eygi, who also held Turkish citizenship, was attending a weekly demonstration against settlement expansion on Friday when she was struck by gunfire. The IDF initially claimed that she was killed by a ricocheted bullet, but an investigation later found that she was most likely hit by IDF fire aimed at the "key instigator" of the riot.
Eygi's death has been met with condemnation from the United States and other international observers. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the killing "tragic" and "unprovoked and unjustified," while the White House said it was "deeply disturbed" by the incident.
American Activist Killed at West Bank Protest Raises Concerns about IDF Tactics
The IDF has expressed its regret over Eygi's death and has launched an investigation into the incident. However, Blinken said that the Israeli security forces need to make "fundamental changes" in their operations in the West Bank, including changes to their rules of engagement.
At the funeral procession for Eygi in the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called her a "martyr who defended the Palestinian cause." Turkish authorities said they are working on repatriating her body to Turkey for burial in the Aegean coastal town of Didim.
American Activist Killed at West Bank Protest Raises Concerns about IDF Tactics
Eygi's death is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised concerns about the use of force by Israeli security forces. In 2018, a Palestinian-American journalist named Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli gunfire while covering a raid in the West Bank.
The Israeli government has defended the actions of its security forces, arguing that they are necessary to maintain order and security in the face of Palestinian violence. However, critics say that the use of lethal force is often excessive and that the Israeli government must do more to protect civilians.
American Activist Killed at West Bank Protest Raises Concerns about IDF Tactics
The death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi is a reminder of the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and the need for a just and lasting solution.
