A 26-year-old American woman was fatally shot in the head Friday during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in the northern West Bank Friday — with the White House saying it was “deeply disturbed” by her death.
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, an American citizen born in Turkey, was protesting anti-settlement expansion near the Israeli-occupied town of Beita when she was gunned down by soldiers, according to Turkish authorities.
Eygi was rushed to a hospital, where medical staff performed surgery and she was pronounced dead.
The Turkish ministry said Eygi, who was also a Turkish citizen, was killed by Israeli soldiers and described the incident as a “murder carried out by the Netanyahu government.”
The country will exert “all effort to ensure that those who killed our citizen is brought to justice,” said Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli.
Israel said it was probing reports that its troops were responsible for killing a foreign national while firing at an “instigator of violent activity” during or near the protest.
“The details of the incident and the circumstances in which she was hit are under review,” Israel’s military said in a statement.
The U.S. State Department said it was also investigating.
“We are aware of the tragic death of an American citizen, Aysenur Eygi, today in the West Bank. We offer our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
“We are urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death, and will have more to say as we learn more. We have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens.”
Eygi was shot dead while attending the weekly demonstration, where protests have grown violent in the past.
“We tried to perform a resuscitation operation on her, but unfortunately she died,” said Fouad Nafaa, head of the Rafidia Hospital in Nablus.
A month ago, American citizen Amado Sison said he was shot in the leg by Israeli forces as he tried to flee tear gas and live fire.
With Post wires