American-Turkish Activist Shot Dead During Protest in Occupied West Bank

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American and Turkish citizen, was fatally shot during a protest in the occupied West Bank on Friday. The incident occurred in the town of Beita, near Nablus, where she was participating in a demonstration against the expansion of Jewish settlements.

According to local media, Ms. Ezgi Eygi was allegedly shot by Israeli troops. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that they “responded with fire toward a main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks at the forces and posed a threat to them” in the Beita area.

The U.S. State Department confirmed Ms. Ezgi Eygi’s identity, with spokesman Matthew Miller expressing Washington’s condolences and stating that the U.S. is “urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken deplored the “tragic loss,” and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew emphasized that ensuring the safety of American citizens is Washington’s highest priority.

Turkish media reported that Ms. Ezgi Eygi was born in Antalya, Turkey. The Turkish foreign ministry condemned her death as “murder,” asserting that she was “killed by Israeli occupation soldiers in the city of Nablus.”

Ms. Ezgi Eygi was rushed to a hospital in Nablus with a gunshot wound to the head and was later pronounced dead. Dr. Fouad Naffa, the head of the hospital, confirmed her death due to the gunshot wound.

The IDF has stated that it is “looking into reports that a foreign national was killed as a result of shots fired in the area” and that the circumstances of the incident are under review.