Israeli killing of Turkish-American activist 'terrible tragedy': US congresswoman

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) – US Rep. Pramila Jayapal on Friday said the Israeli killing of a Turkish-American activist in the northern occupied West Bank is a "terrible tragedy."

“I am very troubled by the reports that she was killed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers. The Netanyahu government has done nothing to stop settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, often encouraged by right-wing ministers of the Netanyahu government.

"The killing of an American citizen is a terrible proof point in this senseless war of rising tensions in the region," Jayapal said in a statement.

Her remarks came after Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was shot dead by Israeli forces on Friday during a protest against illegal Israeli settlements in the town of Beita in the Nablus district of the occupied West Bank.

"My heart goes out to Aysenur’s family, friends, and loved ones. This is a terrible tragedy, and I extend my condolences to all those in mourning today.

"My office is actively working to gather more information on the events that led to her death," Jayapal added.

Fouad Nafaa, the director of the Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, told Anadolu that Eygi arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound to the head. She succumbed to her injuries despite medical teams’ efforts to revive her, according to Nafaa.

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli soldiers opened live fire on a group of Palestinians participating in a demonstration condemning the illegal settlements on Mount Sbeih in Beita, which lies south of the city of Nablus.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa confirmed that the victim was a volunteer with the Fazaa campaign, an initiative aimed at supporting and protecting Palestinian farmers from ongoing violations by illegal Israeli settlers and the military.

Beita residents hold protests after weekly Muslim Friday prayers in congregation to oppose the illegal Israeli settlement of Avitar, which sits atop Mount Sbeih. The community demands that the settlement be removed because it violates their land rights.

Eygi was born in the Turkish city of Antalya in 1998, and graduated from the University of Washington in 2024.