The Israeli military admitted on Tuesday that its forces are likely responsible for the death of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist who was killed at a protest in the northern West Bank last Friday.
According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), soldiers had been aiming to eliminate a "central instigator", and "it is highly likely that she was hit indirectly and unintentionally by IDF fire which was not aimed at her"
In a military statement by an IDF spokesperson, Israeli military forces indicate that troops also struck American activist Amado Sison in the leg at the same protest.
"Shortly afterward, a report was received regarding a foreign national who was accidentally injured by the riot dispersal means and was evacuated to the hospital," said the IDF statement.
Sison, who is in stable condition at a hospital in Nablus, told reporters that the IDF fired "tear gas and live rounds" at protestors.
"There was a demonstration and we were there to film, to make sure we have eyes on the [IDF]," said Sison. "As internationals, we support Palestinians, we take their lead, we are nonviolent."
Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the killing of Eygi was "unprovoked and unjustified".
"No one, no one should be shot and killed for attending a protest," Blinken said. "No one should have to put their life at risk just to purely express their views. The Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way they operate in the West Bank, including changes in their rules of engagement."
In a rare rebuke of Israeli military operations, Blinken also called upon Israeli security forces to make "fundamental changes" in how their operations within the West Bank would be conducted.
Eygi, a 26-year-old who recently graduated from the University of Washington (UW), had been attending weekly demonstrations against the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in Beita, south of Nablus. Described as a "passionate human rights activist" by her family, she had reportedly helped organize the encampment on UW campus in support of Palestine.
Volunteering with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), Eygi traveled to the West Bank in order to continue her activism. She was killed 3 days after arriving.
Eygi's death has sparked outcry across the nation. On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of protestors gathered at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle in a demonstration paying tribute to Eygi.
"We all got to know her through the encampments, through the various actions the community has organized for Palestine so if you've been to them, you probably know her," said Taylor Young, a member of the Shut It Down Coalition and a participant in the Westlake Park demonstration. "What she is, is an embodiment of what so many of us are trying to do which is to endlessly and ceaselessly do everything you can to fight for the liberation of people."
Her family has demanded an independent inquiry into her death, saying that an Israel-led probe into the incident is inadequate.
"Her presence in our lives was taken needlessly, unlawfully, and violently by the Israeli military," said a statement released by Eygi's family. "A US citizen, Ayşenur was peacefully standing for justice when she was killed by a bullet that video shows came from an Israeli military shooter."
"We call on President Biden, Vice-President Harris, and Secretary of State Blinken to order an independent investigation into the unlawful killing of a US citizen and to ensure full accountability for the guilty parties." the statement read.
