In a statement released on Tuesday, the Israeli military acknowledged that its soldiers likely fired the shot that killed Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American-Turkish woman, during a protest in the occupied West Bank last week. The military expressed “deep regret” over the incident, stating that Eygi’s death was unintentional.
According to the Israeli military, Eygi was participating in a demonstration against settlement expansion in Beita, a village near Nablus, when she was shot. The military claimed that soldiers were targeting a “key instigator of the riot” and that Eygi was hit indirectly.
The incident has sparked international condemnation, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling the killing “unprovoked and unjustified.” Blinken emphasized that Israeli security forces need to make fundamental changes in their rules of engagement, stating, “No one should be shot while attending a protest.”
The Palestinian Authority held a funeral procession for Eygi in Nablus, and Turkish authorities are working to repatriate her body for burial in the Aegean coastal town of Didim, per her family’s wishes.
The killing is the latest in a surge of violence in the West Bank, with over 690 Palestinians killed since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October. The incident has drawn international attention, with human rights groups criticizing Israel’s handling of the situation.
Human rights organizations have long accused Israel of rarely holding soldiers accountable for killing Palestinians, with military investigations often reflecting a pattern of impunity. Even in cases where soldiers are found guilty, they often receive relatively light sentences, as seen in the 2017 case of Israeli soldier Elor Azaria, who served nine months for killing a wounded Palestinian in Hebron.
The Israeli military has repeatedly stated that it thoroughly investigates allegations of killings of civilians and holds its forces accountable. However, the latest incident has raised further concerns about the military’s actions in the West Bank and the need for greater accountability.
