US awaits Israeli probe before deciding on consequences in Turkish American activist's killing

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US on Friday said it will wait for the conclusion of Israel's investigation into the killing of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi before determining if any consequences are warranted for the Israeli soldiers involved.

“We are going to wait to pass any judgments about what steps ought to occur next, until we receive the results of that investigation,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

Miller said the Israeli investigation into Eygi’s killing must be “thorough,” “prompt,” and “transparent,” adding, “We’ll make any determinations at the conclusion of that investigation.”

He also reiterated a previous statement by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying the US expects Israeli security forces to make changes to their rules of engagement.

When asked by Anadolu if there will be any consequences for Israel for killing a US citizen, Miller responded: “You do need to wait to see the results of the investigation to know whether there need to be any specific criminal consequences for the individuals involved”.

“We have seen reports of excessive use of force by Israeli security forces against Palestinians and now we've seen the death of two American citizens and we want that to end and that's why we want to see the changes to the rules of engagement,” Miller added.

Eygi, 26, a dual Turkish-US national, was killed by Israeli forces on Sept. 6 during a peaceful protest against illegal Israeli settlements near Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

Preliminary findings from the Israeli army's investigation on Tuesday indicated that Eygi was "highly likely" hit "indirectly and unintentionally" by Israeli fire targeting a main instigator during the protest.

However, video evidence and eyewitness accounts have contradicted Israel's version of events. A recent report by The Washington Post revealed that Eygi was shot more than 30 minutes after the peak of confrontations in Beita and about 20 minutes after protesters had moved over 200 yards down the main road, away from Israeli forces.

Eygi’s family says she was killed in a targeted attack and is calling on the US government to launch an independent investigation into her killing, similar to the one being conducted by the Turkish government.

Eygi, born in Antalya, Türkiye in 1998, moved to the US with her family when she was an infant and graduated in June from the University of Washington, where she studied psychology and Middle Eastern languages and cultures.​​​​​​​

She arrived in the West Bank last Tuesday to volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) as part of an effort to support and safeguard Palestinian farmers.