US Calls on Israel to Complete Investigation into Killing of American Activist in West Bank, According to Reuters

By Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk

The United States has urged Israel to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the shooting death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American-Turkish woman, last week in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The U.S. believes that Israel has already initiated such an inquiry.

Eygi was reportedly shot by Israeli troops while participating in a protest against settlement expansion. Palestinian and Turkish officials confirmed her death on Friday.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel stated during a briefing, "Our understanding is that our partners in Israel are looking into the circumstances of what happened. We expect them to make their findings public, and we hope those findings will be thorough and transparent."

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby later indicated that Israel is expected to swiftly conclude its investigation and release its findings soon.

Reports from the Palestinian news agency WAFA indicated that the shooting occurred amid a routine protest in Beita, a village near Nablus, which has experienced numerous attacks on Palestinians by Jewish settlers.

The Israeli military acknowledged that a female foreign national was killed due to gunfire in the area and is reviewing the details and circumstances surrounding her death.

Both Patel and Kirby refrained from providing additional context about the incident, stating that the U.S. would reserve judgment until Israel’s investigation is completed.

In response to Eygi’s death, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan condemned the situation, asserting that Turkey will continue to work through all available platforms to halt what he described as Israel’s occupation and genocide policies. Israel denies that its actions in the occupied Palestinian territories equate to genocide.

The recent increase in violent incidents involving Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank has provoked concern among Israel’s Western allies, including the United States, which has imposed sanctions on certain individuals involved in the settler movement.

Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has maintained control over the West Bank, which Palestinians envision as the heart of a future independent state. Israel’s ongoing construction of settlements in the area is considered illegal by most nations, though Israel disputes this characterization, citing historical and biblical connections to the land.