UN demands investigation into US-Turkish citizen shooting

Eyewitnesses dispute claims by Israel Defense Forces that they responded to a threat from individuals throwing stones.

The United Nations has called for a comprehensive investigation into the killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old US-Turkish citizen, who was shot and killed by Israeli forces during a protest in the occupied West Bank on Friday.

Eygi was participating in a demonstration against Jewish settlement expansion in Beita, near Nablus, when the incident occurred.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric emphasised the need for a full inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Eygi's death, stressing that civilians must always be protected.

The US government has also requested further information from Israel and demanded an investigation into the shooting. White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett expressed deep concern over the incident.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing two gunshots and seeing Eygi, who was involved with the International Solidarity Movement, being rushed to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Jonathan Pollak, an activist at the protest, described seeing Eygi bleeding from her head and noted that the soldiers appeared to be aiming from a rooftop.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated they were responding to a threat from individuals throwing stones. However, Pollak and other witnesses disputed this, claiming no immediate threat was present where Eygi was shot.

Eygi had recently graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle and was described by the school's president as having a positive influence on her peers.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the shooting as "barbaric," and Turkey's foreign ministry labeled it an act by "Israeli occupation soldiers."

This shooting has intensified international scrutiny and calls for accountability amid ongoing tensions in the region.