Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Turkish-American woman on Friday who was taking part in a protest against the expansion of settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian and Turkish officials said.
The White House said it was deeply saddened by the death of Ayşenur Ezgi Egi and called on Israel to investigate. Turkey’s foreign ministry said she had been shot in the head and blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for her death.
Palestinian officials described him as a 26-year-old activist who held both American and Turkish citizenship.
The Israeli military said its troops opened fire on a male “main instigator” who was posing a threat by throwing stones at troops.
The military is investigating reports that a foreign female national was “killed as a result of firing in the area. Details of the incident and the circumstances under which she was killed are being reviewed.”
There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office on the incident.
Fouad Nafaa, head of Rafidia hospital in Nablus, told Reuters that Egy was brought there in critical condition with serious head injuries.
“We tried to revive him but unfortunately he passed away,” he said.
The Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, WAFA, said the incident occurred during a regular protest march organised by activists in Beita, a village near Nablus where Palestinians have been repeatedly attacked by Jewish settlers.
“Quite upset”
White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement that Washington was “deeply saddened by the tragic death of an American citizen” on the West Coast on Friday.
“We have contacted the Israeli government for further information and investigation into this incident,” Savet said.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan condemned Egi’s death in a post on social media, saying Turkey would “continue to work at every platform to stop Israel’s policy of occupation and genocide”. Israel has denied that its actions in the occupied Palestinian territories amount to genocide.
In a separate incident on Friday, a 13-year-old girl was killed during clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank village of Qaryut, when residents attacked two residents, Palestinian health officials said.
WAFA quoted the girl’s father as saying she was in her home when the shooting occurred. The Israeli military said it was investigating the report.
Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank of the Jordan River, which Palestinians want as an independent state. Israel has built Jewish settlements there that most countries consider illegal, which Israel disputes, citing historic and biblical ties to the land.
A rise in violent attacks by Israeli migrants on Palestinians in the West Bank has sparked anger among Israel’s Western allies, including the United States, which has imposed sanctions on some Israelis involved in the movement of migrants.
Several weeks ago, about 100 migrants attacked the village of Zeit in the northern West Bank, sparking worldwide condemnation and with the Israeli government promising swift action against anyone found guilty of violence.
Palestinians and human rights groups regularly accuse the Israeli military of standing by and even joining in attacks themselves.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
