The family of Aysenur Eygi, an American woman shot and killed while protesting in the occupied West Bank, has blamed Israel and called for an independent investigation. The family stated that an Israel-led probe would be insufficient.
Eyewitnesses told CNN that Eygi, 26, was shot in the head by Israeli forces during a protest near Nablus. She was participating in a weekly demonstration against an Israeli settlement near Beita. The Israeli military admitted to firing at protesters, and the US National Security Council confirmed they had asked Israeli officials for an investigation.
However, Eygi’s family said that an Israeli investigation would not be enough. They called on President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to order an independent investigation and ensure accountability. The family emphasized that video footage showed the bullet that killed Eygi came from an Israeli military shooter.
Eygi, who held both US and Turkish citizenship, had recently graduated from the University of Washington and was volunteering with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a pro-Palestinian activist group. The Turkish government has held Israel responsible for her death, and US officials are reviewing the incident.
In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that they fired at a person they deemed a threat for throwing rocks at soldiers. The IDF is investigating reports of a foreign national being killed in the area. However, the ISM denied that any of its members were throwing rocks, adding that Eygi was over 200 meters away from the soldiers and posed no threat at the time she was shot.
The ISM claimed Eygi was killed in cold blood and emphasised that there were no confrontations near her location just before the shooting.
