By Dilara Hamit
Last week’s killing of a young Turkish American activist in the West Bank was "totally unacceptable," said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a new interview, also pledging that there would be consequences for the incident.
Speaking to Yalda Hakim of Sky News, Blinken stressed that Israel’s killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was “inexcusable” and raised concerns about its rules of engagement.
"We’ve seen this horrific loss, the killing of a young American-Turkish woman. Just today we got a preliminary investigation that was provided to us. And the actions that were taken are totally unacceptable. I think it goes to, among other things, the rules of engagement that Israel has," he said, adding that a preliminary investigation into the incident had been completed and shared with US officials.
Asked about the consequences the US would impose, Blinken declined to give specifics, but hinted at potential actions. He referenced previous US actions taken in response to settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, including sanctions on individuals and organizations responsible for such violence. "We continue to review every incident that comes before us, and, as necessary, following the law, we’ll take action," he said.
Blinken also reiterated the US commitment to achieving a cease-fire as a means to provide relief for those affected by the ongoing conflict. He mentioned how President Biden put forth a cease-fire proposal this May which garnered significant international support.
Palestinian group Hamas has stressed that this plan should be used as a basis, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been alleged by many observers, including in Israel, to be constantly introducing new conditions in a bad faith effort to make any deal impossible.
Eygi, 26, a dual Turkish-US national, was killed by Israeli forces during a protest Friday against illegal Israeli settlements in the village of Beita, near Nablus.
The Israeli army said Tuesday that it is “highly likely” that Eygi was “indirectly and unintentionally” hit by fire from its forces.
US President Joe Biden called the shooting of Eygi in the head by an Israeli sniper an "accident," adding that the bullet apparently "ricocheted off the ground, and she got hit.”
Biden has not spoken with the family of Eygi to offer his condolences, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Monday.
Eygi's family has expressed outrage over any suggestion that her death at the hands of an Israeli sniper was unintentional, reiterating their calls for an independent investigation into the killing.