US says 'urgently' gathering more information about 'tragic death' of Turkish-American activist

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) — The US on Friday said it is gathering more information about the circumstances of the "tragic death" of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the occupied West Bank.

"We are aware of the tragic death of an American citizen, Aysenur Eygi, today in the West Bank. We offer our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told Anadolu in an emailed statement.

"We are urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death, and will have more to say as we learn more. We have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens," he added.

Turkish-American activist Eygi was shot dead by Israeli forces on Friday during a protest against illegal Israeli settlements in the town of Beita, located in the Nablus district of the occupied West Bank, according to eyewitnesses.

Fouad Nafaa, director of the Rafidia Hospital, told Anadolu that Eygi, who held a dual citizenship of both Türkiye and the US, arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound to the head.

Eygi, who was born in the Turkish city of Antalya in 1998, succumbed to her injuries despite attempts by medical teams to revive her, according to Nafaa.

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

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

Residents of Beita hold weekly protests after Friday prayers to oppose the illegal Israeli settlement of Avitar, which is established on the peak of Mount Sbeih. The community demands the removal of the illegal settlement, which they view as a violation of their land rights.

Tensions have escalated throughout the occupied West Bank as Israel continues its assault on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 40,900 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7 last year.

At least 691 people have been killed and over 5,700 injured by Israeli fire in the West Bank since then, according to the Health Ministry.