Palestinian envoy to UK calls for holding Israel accountable after killing of Turkish-American activist

By Zuhal Demirci

LONDON (AA) - Palestine's envoy to the UK urged the US and the international community to hold Israel accountable for the killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist.

Speaking to Anadolu, Ambassador Husam Zomlot said that Israel has not only killed Palestinians but also citizens from different nations, including the US, UK and Turkish citizens, for 76 years, without facing consequences.

“The issue is Israel has grown up accustomed to the fact that they have full impunity. America has never held accountable those who kill their own citizens, let alone the Palestinian people,” Zomlot said.

“So, this is a moment when it has been exposed that Israel has a free hand to kill at will, whoever it wishes to kill, including the 26-year-old peace activist (Aysenur Ezgi Eygi) who was there (West Bank) to promote and fight for justice and to protect Palestinian civilians from settler violence and terrorism with the full support of Israeli army,” he added.

The activist was shot dead by Israeli forces on Friday while participating in a demonstration against illegal Israeli settlements in the town of Beita, West Bank.

An autopsy report of Eygi has confirmed she was killed by an Israeli sniper’s bullet to the head, Nablus governor Ghassan Daghlas said on Saturday.

Zomlot expressed condolences to Eygi’s family, urging the US and the international community to “act so achieves justice for these victims, and we hold those criminals to account because Israel will never do that.”

Zomlot said Israel will never investigate itself and will never come to a verdict that they have committed war crimes. “So, it has got to be international accountability,” he added.

The envoy also recalled that Israeli forces previously killed other foreign activists, including American Rachel Corrie in 2003, British photojournalist Tom Hurndall in 2004, and Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022.

“So far, we have seen no one is being held accountable. No justice is being served because Israel simply will cover up its crimes. That's why we say, it's only international independent investigation like the ICC (International Criminal Court),” he said.

Eygi, 26, had been actively involved in solidarity movements supporting Palestinian rights. Her death has sparked outrage and calls for accountability from both local and international communities.

Born in Antalya, Türkiye, in 1998, Eygi moved to Seattle, Washington, with her parents, Rabia Birden Eygi and Mehmet Suat Eygi, when she was less than 1 year old.

She graduated in June from the University of Washington, where she studied psychology and Middle Eastern languages and cultures.

* Writing by Seda Sevencan