The United Nations has called for a thorough investigation into the killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old US-Turkish citizen, who was shot and killed by Israeli forces during a protest in the occupied West Bank on Friday. Eygi was participating in a demonstration against Jewish settlement expansion in Beita, near Nablus, when she was shot.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stressed the importance of a full inquiry, emphasizing the need to protect civilians. The US government has also requested more information from Israel and demanded an investigation into the incident. White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett expressed deep concern.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing two gunshots and saw Eygi, who was associated with the International Solidarity Movement, being rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Activist Jonathan Pollak described seeing Eygi bleeding from her head and noted that soldiers appeared to be shooting from a rooftop. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed they were responding to a threat from individuals throwing stones, but witnesses disputed this, asserting no immediate threat was present where Eygi was shot.
Eygi, a recent graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle, was remembered by the school’s president as a positive influence. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the shooting as “barbaric,” and Turkey’s foreign ministry labeled it an act by “Israeli occupation soldiers.” The incident has increased international scrutiny and calls for accountability amid ongoing regional tensions.
