An American citizen was killed in Beita allegedly by Israeli troops while protesting against the expansion of Israel into the West Bank.
The Palestinians news WAFA along with eyewitnesses reported American Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was shot in the back of the head by the Israeli military. “As people were running away, live fire was shot and a soldier fired directly at the protestors, hitting the American activist in the head from behind and falling to the ground,” said witness Dr. Hisham Dweikat.
Israel has admitted to firing at the protestors and are looking into the reports of Aysenur Eygi’s death. IDF claims their security forces only fired, “toward a main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks at the forces and posed a threat to them.”
The U.S. state department is aware of her death but hasn’t revealed many more details at this time. “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,” said the department’s spokesperson Matthew Miller.
Eygi was immediately taken to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus after being shot and treated by paramedics but passed on the operating table inside the hospital. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah stated she arrived “with serious occupation gunshot wounds to the head,” and added, “medical teams have announced her death after resuscitation attempts and treatment.”
Joe Biden along with Kamala Harris have made statements taking full accountability for Eygi’s death, seeing as the Biden administration has been supporting Israel. “The shooting that led to her death is unacceptable and raises legitimate questions about the conduct of IDF personnel in the West Bank,” said Kamala regarding the death.