Israel confirms: IDF accidentally killed Turkish-American citizen during riot

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Tuesday that Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old activist from Seattle, was killed on Friday during a demonstration against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

“The investigation found that she was most likely hit indirectly and unintentionally by IDF fire, which was not aimed at her but at the main instigator of the riot,” the IDF said in a statement.

“The incident occurred during a violent riot in which dozens of Palestinian suspects burned tires and threw stones at security forces at the Beita junction,” the IDF added. “Following the incident, the Military Police Criminal Investigation Department launched an investigation.”

“The IDF expresses its deepest regret over the death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi,” the IDF said.

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Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that the killing was “tragic” and “what we have seen in this investigation seems to confirm what eyewitnesses have said and made clear – that her killing was both gratuitous and unjustified. No one should be shot for participating in a demonstration. No one should have to risk their life just for expressing their opinions freely.”

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

“Now the second American citizen has been killed by Israeli security forces. That is unacceptable. That must change, and we will make that clear to the most senior members of the Israeli government,” he continued. “We are carefully reviewing the findings of this investigation, but even on first reading, and even taking them at face value, it is clear that there are serious problems that need to be addressed, and we will insist that they be addressed.”

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The White House had previously stated that it was “deeply concerned” about the killing of Eygi, who also held Turkish citizenship, and called on Israel to investigate the incidents.

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

Eygi, a volunteer with the activist group International Solidarity Movement, was taking part in a weekly demonstration against settlement expansion that has been taking place for years and has often been the subject of Israeli raids and stone-throwing by protesters, according to AP.

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

Nick Kalman of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source of the original article: Israel confirms: IDF accidentally killed Turkish-American citizen during riot