Family of Turkish-US citizen killed in West Bank calls for independent investigation

Washington university graduate Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was shot during a demonstration against Israeli settlement expansion

The family of 26-year-old Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a US citizen killed during a protest in the occupied West Bank, has accused an Israeli military shooter of fatally wounding her.

Eygi, a recent University of Washington graduate, was shot during a demonstration in Beita, where she was protesting Israeli settlement expansion, according to the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). 

Eygi's family is demanding an independent investigation, stating that an Israeli inquiry into the killing is insufficient.

"Aysenur was peacefully standing for justice when she was killed by a bullet that video shows came from an Israeli military shooter," they said, while calling on US officials, including President Biden, to ensure accountability.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that they were responding to "violent activity" and are reviewing the details of the incident.

Meanwhile, the White House expressed its condolences and requested more information from Israel, with National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett calling the situation "deeply disturbing."

Eygi, also a Turkish citizen, was known for her activism and commitment to human rights, having previously participated in protests on her university campus.

The ISM reported that she is the 18th protester killed in Beita since 2020, and the only non-Palestinian among them. 

Her death follows a broader surge of violence in the West Bank, where Israeli military operations have escalated, resulting in numerous fatalities, including both militants and civilians.