American Activist Killed in Israeli Crackdown on West Bank Protest

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American activist from Seattle, was killed during a demonstration against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank on Friday. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that Eygi was likely hit indirectly by IDF fire aimed at a key instigator of the riot.

American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was killed during a demonstration against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank on Friday. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Tuesday that Ezgi Eygi was likely hit indirectly by IDF fire aimed at a key instigator of the riot.

The incident took place during a violent riot in which dozens of Palestinian suspects burned tires and hurled rocks toward security forces at the Beita Junction, according to the IDF. "Following the incident, an investigation was launched by the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division," the IDF added.

American Activist Killed in Israeli Crackdown on West Bank Protest

The IDF expressed its deepest regret over the death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who also held Turkish citizenship.

Eygi was a volunteer with the activist group International Solidarity Movement, which organizes weekly demonstrations against settlement expansion in the West Bank. The demonstrations have often brought Israeli crackdowns and protester stone-throwing.

American Activist Killed in Israeli Crackdown on West Bank Protest

Witness Jonathan Pollak told The Associated Press that the shooting occurred about half an hour after clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces had subsided.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that the killing was "tragic" and "what we saw with this investigation, it seems to show what eyewitnesses and have said and made clear – that her killing was both unprovoked and unjustified."

American Activist Killed in Israeli Crackdown on West Bank Protest

"No one should be shot and killed for attending a protest. No one should have to put their life at risk just for freely expressing their views," Blinken said.

"In our judgment, the Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way they operate in the West Bank, including changes to their rules of engagement," Blinken said.

American Activist Killed in Israeli Crackdown on West Bank Protest

"Now we have the second American citizen killed at the hands of Israeli security forces. It's not acceptable. It has to change, and we'll be making that clear to the senior most members of the Israeli government," he continued.

The White House had earlier said it was "deeply disturbed" by the killing of Ezgi Eygi and called on Israel to investigate what happened.

The Palestinian Authority held a funeral procession for Eygi in the West Bank city of Nablus on Monday. Turkish authorities said they are working on repatriating her body to Turkey for burial in the Aegean coastal town of Didim, as per her family’s wishes.

Eygi's death has sparked outrage and calls for international condemnation of Israel's use of force against protesters. Human rights groups have accused Israel of using excessive force and carrying out extrajudicial killings of Palestinians.

Israel has defended its actions, saying that it is necessary to use force to maintain order and protect its citizens from violence.

The killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi is likely to further strain relations between the United States and Israel. The Biden administration has already expressed concern about Israel's settlement expansion and its use of force against Palestinians.

The incident is also likely to increase tensions between Israel and Turkey, which has been critical of Israel's policies in the West Bank and Gaza.