Science & Environment
American killed in West Bank, State Department says
An American citizen has died during a protest in the West Bank, Fox News has confirmed.
The State Department says it is aware of “the tragic death” of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, although did not provide any more details.
The agency did not say how she died. However, Reuters, citing the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, reported that a U.S. citizen taking part in a protest against settlement expansion in the West Bank died of her wounds on Friday after being shot in the head by Israeli troops.
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An Israeli soldier is seen during a protest in the town of Beita, in the West Bank on July 26, 2024
The incident occurred during a regular protest march by activists in Beita, a town near the city of Nablus that has seen repeated attacks by settlers, WAFA reports.
Fouad Nafaa, the head of the Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, told Reuters the woman arrived at the hospital in a very critical condition, with a serious head injury.
“We tried to perform a resuscitation operation on her, but unfortunately she died,” he said.
The Turkish government condemned the death and says that Eygi was also a Turkish citizen.
The Israeli military says it is looking into the report.
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A Palestinian man waves a flag in the West Bank on July 26, 2024. An American citizen has died during a protest in the West Bank, Fox News has learned. ( WAHAJ BANI MOUFLEH/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
“Today (Friday), during Israeli security forces activity adjacent to the area of Beita, the forces responded with fire toward a main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks at the forces and posed a threat to them,” the IDF said in a statement.
“The IDF is looking into reports that a foreign national was killed as a result of shots fired in the area. The details of the incident and the circumstances in which she was hit are under review.”
In a statement, the State Department tells Fox News it offers its deepest condolences to her family and loved ones.
“We are urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death and will have more to say as we learn more. We have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens.”
Turkey’s foreign ministry, in a statement, condemned the death labeling it as a “murder committed by the Netanyahu government.”
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A Palestinian man throws a stone at an Israeli armed vehicle during a protest in the town of Beita, in West Bank on July 26, 2024 ( WAHAJ BANI MOUFLEH/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
“Israel is trying to intimidate all those who come to the aid of the Palestinian people and who fight peacefully against the genocide,” the statement reads. “This policy of violence will not work.
“The Israeli authorities who commit crimes against humanity and those who unconditionally support them will be held accountable before international courts.”
The rise in violent attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages in the West Bank has caused growing anger among Western allies of Israel, including the United States, which has imposed sanctions on a number of individuals.
Reuters contributed to this report.
