NABLUS, West Bank. Israeli soldiers fatally shot Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American activist, during a protest against Israeli settlements in the West Bank on Friday, according to eyewitness accounts. Eygi, also a Turkish citizen and recent graduate of the University of Washington, was shot in the head while participating in a demonstration near the town of Beita, witnesses and doctors confirmed.
Eygi’s death has sparked outrage from various groups, including the U.S. government, which has called for an immediate investigation. The White House expressed being “deeply disturbed” by the killing. At the same time, the Israeli military has acknowledged it is investigating reports of troops firing at an “instigator of violent activity” during the protest.
Eyewitness Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli activist who was at the scene, described the protest as peaceful before the shooting. “We had just finished communal prayers when clashes broke out,” Pollak said. He noted that while some demonstrators threw stones, the violence had largely subsided by the time soldiers took aim and fired. Pollak described seeing Eygi lying next to an olive tree, “bleeding to death.”
Two doctors, Dr. Ward Basalat, who provided first aid at the scene, and Dr. Fouad Naffa, director of Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, confirmed that Eygi was shot in the head. Eygi was a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a group known for its activism against Israeli military actions in the occupied territories. According to ISM, 17 Palestinians have been killed at similar protests in Beita since 2020.
The U.S. Department of State has reiterated its commitment to investigating the incident, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating, “We are intensely focused on determining what happened and will draw the necessary conclusions.”
Eygi’s death comes amid escalating violence in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. More than 690 Palestinians have been killed during this period, according to Palestinian health officials, as tensions between Israeli settlers, Palestinian militants, and the Israeli military continue to rise.
In a related incident, Israeli soldiers also shot and killed a 13-year-old Palestinian girl, Bana Laboom, during a riot in her village near Nablus. The Israeli military has said that an initial inquiry is underway into both deaths, with officials saying shots were fired to disperse mutual stone-throwing between Palestinians and Israeli civilians.
Eygi’s death follows the legacy of other ISM activists killed while opposing Israeli military operations. The ISM has stated that at least three of its members have been killed since 2000, including American Rachel Corrie in Gaza and British national Tom Hurndall, both in 2003.
As global outrage grows, the Turkish government has also condemned Eygi’s death, vowing to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
