Italian activist who witnessed Aysenur Ezgi Eygi’s final moments recounts tragic event

By Enes Canli

ISTANBUL (AA) – An Italian activist who witnessed the final moments of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish American activist who was killed last week by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank during a protest against illegal Israeli settlements, described the attack.

“About 200 meters away, there were Israeli soldiers on the roof of a Palestinian house. We were standing on the side of the road in an olive grove and Aysenur was a little behind me under an olive tree,” said Mariam, who only gave her first name, speaking to Anadolu at Rafidia Hospital in Nablus.

Saying that Israeli soldiers stopped near Evyatar, an illegal Israeli settlement seized from Palestinians, about 200 meters (656 feet) away, she said: “Palestinians prayed the Friday prayer. After the prayer, incidents broke out between the Palestinians and the army. The Israeli army dispersed the crowd using tear gas and then live bullets. We retreated down the hill to the side of the road, and about 200 meters away, there were Israeli soldiers on the roof of a Palestinian house. We were standing by the side of the road in an olive grove. Aysenur was a little behind me under an olive tree.”

“We were clearly visible to the soldiers. We were just standing there, not doing anything. Suddenly I heard two shots. One of them hit a metal object. Then my friends called out my name. Aysenur was lying unconscious under a tree. We called for more people. We put her in an ambulance. We came with her to Beita Health Center, and from there, we brought her to the hospital in Nablus. They tried to save her, but she died.”

- International activists have faced more attacks by settlers since Oct. 7

Mariam said she met Aysenur a few days before the attack and pointed out that the Turkish American activist was a member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), of which Rachel Corrie, an American activist killed in Rafah in 2003, was a member.

Mariam said Aysenur was very excited to participate in the demonstration to support the struggle of the Palestinian people and that she shared her excitement, but she was very uneasy due to the excessive force used by the Israeli army.

She said that Palestinians have been suffering for decades, but after Oct. 7, this increased exponentially.

“The settlers' violence and the army's harassment have increased like an avalanche after Oct. 7. International solidarity activists have also been attacked more by settlers, and activists have been shot at and injured. Palestinians are the primary victims of the increased tensions, but attacks on international solidarity activists have also increased.”

Mariam said that far-right fanatical Israeli settler groups monitor and control the social media accounts of international solidarity activists.

“Our governments have the blood of all Palestinian martyrs on their hands -- my friend Aysenur and the activists before her. We demand accountability not only for Aysenur, but for all Palestinian martyrs. Stop arms sales to Israel. We demand a just solution for a free Palestine,” she added.

Eygi's body is being held at Rafidia Hospital. International solidarity activists, Palestinian official representatives and the public gathered at the hospital for the official funeral, while technical preparations for it are ongoing.

*Writing by Efe Ozkan