West Bank holds mourning ceremony for Turkish American activist killed by Israel

​​​​​​​By Awad Rajoob

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - The West Bank town of Beita in Nablus held a public mourning ceremony Wednesday for Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who was killed by Israel during a protest against settlement expansion.

The event, organized by the Beita municipality and local institutions, drew political figures, including Nablus Gov. Ghassan Daghlas and Fatah’s Deputy Chairman Mahmoud Al-Aloul.

A member of Beita’s municipal council, Abdel Salam Maala, expressed to Anadolu the town’s gratitude for Eygi’s solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

Eygi, 26, a recent graduate of Washington University, had traveled to Palestine to show her support, despite warnings.

She was shot in the head by Israeli forces during a protest in Beita and died at Rafidia Hospital in Nablus.

Hundreds of Palestinians in Nablus participated in a funeral procession Monday for Eygi before her body was transferred to Türkiye for a burial.

Eygi’s killing echoes the case of American Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed similarly in 2022, drawing widespread outrage.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio