US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday deplored the death of an American woman Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi who was killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and promised action “as necessary.” The 26-year-old volunteer was also a Turkish citizen and was reportedly shot dead on Friday by the Israeli troops in the town of Beita while she was participating in an anti-settlement protest. Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also condemned Israel’s “barbaric intervention”.
During his visit to the Dominican Republic, Bliken told the reporters, “We deplore this tragic loss,” as he offered his “deepest condolences” to Eygi’s family. Blinken also stated that the US will first find out about the events that unfolded on the day that led to the woman’s death. “We will draw the necessary conclusions and consequences from that. When we have more info, we will share it, make it available and, as necessary, we’ll act on it,” he said, responding to a query on whether the US would take action against Israel.
“I have no higher priority than the safety and protection of American citizens wherever they are,” Blinken added.
Eygi, who held a Turkish citizenship as well, was shot in the head during the International Solidarity Movement in West Bank, following which died at a hospital, Palesitinian news agency Wafa reported. An Israeli told AFP that the shooting occured after several Palestinians and international activists held a communal prayer outside West Bank’s Beita town overlooking the Evyatar, an Israeli settlement.
Turkiye Prez Condemns Killing: ‘Will Make Efforts To End Israel’s Genocide’
Meanwhile, the Turkiye president condemned the incident in a post on X and wrote: “I condemn Israel’s barbaric intervention against a demonstration against the occupation in the West Bank and I pray for God’s mercy for our citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who lost her life in the attack.”
“As Turkey, we will continue to make efforts on every platform to end Israel’s occupation and genocide policy, which has been ongoing for almost a year and has resulted in the massacre of 41,000 people, regardless of age or gender. We will also strive to ensure that they are held accountable for their crimes against humanity before the law,” he added.
Israel Looking Into Reports Of Firing At Protest Site
Earlier today, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed the Eygi’s death, but did confirm if she had been shot by Israeli troops. In a statement, the White House said it was “deeply disturbed” by the killing of an American citizen, and called on Israel to probe the incident, AFP reported.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli stated that the country would exert “all effort to ensure that those who killed our citizen is brought to justice.”
The Israeli military, on the other hand, has said that it is looking into the reports about a foreign national killed while firing at an “instigator of violent activity” at the protest site.