The relatives of the deceased American in the West Bank accuse Israel of being responsible for her demise and insist on an impartial inquiry.
Two eyewitnesses informed CNN that Aysenur Eygi was fatally shot in the head by Israeli forces attempting to suppress a protest close to Nablus on Friday. The 26-year-old had been participating in a weekly protest against an Israeli settlement near the Palestinian village of Beita, as confirmed by the eyewitnesses.
Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas shared with CNN on Saturday that an autopsy conducted at Al Najah University established that Eygi was killed by a bullet fired by an Israeli occupation sniper to her head. CNN was unable to independently authenticate the autopsy results, but reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.
Previously, the Israeli military had confessed to targeting the protesters, and a spokesperson for the US National Security Council mentioned that the US had contacted Israeli officials to request an investigation into the incident. However, the family considered this an insufficient response.
The family's statement stated, "We appreciate the White House’s expressions of sympathy, but given the circumstances leading up to Aysenur’s death, an Israeli investigation is not sufficient. We urge President (Joe) Biden, Vice President (Kamala) Harris, and Secretary of State (Antony) Blinken to initiate an impartial investigation into Aysenur’s unjustified killing and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice."
The family's statement also maintained that "Aysenur was killed by a bullet that video evidence shows originated from an Israeli military shooter."
Eygi held dual citizenship, both American and Turkish. US officials are currently investigating the tragedy, and the Turkish government has declared Israel responsible for her demise.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced his protest at an event in Istanbul on Saturday, stating, "Israel has heinously murdered our young individual."
Eygi, who graduated from the University of Washington in the spring, had been volunteering with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), the same pro-Palestinian organization as Rachel Corrie, an American citizen who was killed in 2003 while attempting to obstruct an Israeli bulldozer from demolishing Palestinian homes in Gaza.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces declared that their troops "responded with gunfire towards a prominent instigator of violent actions who hurled rocks in the direction of the forces and posed a direct threat to them."
The IDF announced plans to investigate allegations that a foreign national was killed due to gunfire in the area.
The ISM reported that its members did not partake in the stone-throwing during the protest.
"Aysenur was situated over 200 meters away from where the Israeli soldiers were, and there were no confrontations in that zone during the minutes preceding her shooting," the ISM claimed in a statement.
Despite such a considerable distance, "neither she, nor anyone else, could have possibly been considered as posing a threat at such a distance. She was ruthlessly murdered."
‘She was kind, courageous’
Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted that the US was striving to "ascertain the truth" surrounding Eygi's death and offered condolences to her family, but did not advocate for any immediate policy shifts following her demise.
Even when previous investigations have confirmed that Israeli forces were responsible for the deaths of Americans in the West Bank—such as Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh—the US has not revised its policies and has ongoing military support for these units.
National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett shared earlier that the US was "deeply troubled" by Eygi's death. "We have contacted the Israeli government for additional information and to request an investigation into the incident," he said.
US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew confirmed that Eygi, a native of Turkey, was the victim and expressed concern for gaining further knowledge regarding the circumstances surrounding her death.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry condemned Eygi's passing, stating their belief that Israel was liable and confirming her dual Turkish citizenship. "We will pursue those responsible for our citizens' violent deaths," spokesperson Oncu Keceli said.
The family's statement honored Eygi as "a fiercely devoted human rights activist" who had also been actively involved in campus-led demonstrations "advocating for human dignity and calling for an end to the violence against the people of Palestine."
"Just as the olive tree beneath which she took her final breaths, Aysenur was solid, beautiful, and nourishing. Her departure from our lives was prematurely, unjustly, and brutally inflicted by the Israeli military," the statement read.
"Aysenur was a loving daughter, sister, companion, and aunt. She was compassionate, valiant, humorous, compassionate, and a source of joy."
Weekly protests in Beita are common, with Beita situated next to the ramshackle Israeli settler outpost known as Evyatar. This outpost was not officially authorized by the Israeli government until its legalization earlier this year. All Israeli settlements are considered illegal under international law.
The family's statement expressed concern about an Israeli investigation being sufficient, stating, "We urge President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Secretary of State Blinken to initiate an impartial investigation into Aysenur's unjustified killing and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice." Also, the Turkish President Erdogan criticized Israel's actions, saying, "Israel has heinously murdered our young individual," referencing the incident in the Middle East.
