US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday demanded an overhaul of Israeli military conduct in the occupied West Bank and condemned the fatal shooting of an American protester against settlement expansion, which Israel said was accidental.
Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, also a Turkish citizen, was shot and killed last Friday during a protest march in Beita, a village near Nablus where Palestinians have been repeatedly attacked by far-right Jewish settlers.
The Israeli military said on Tuesday that its initial investigation found it was highly likely that its soldiers had fired the shot that killed him, but that the death was unintentional and the army deeply regrets it.
In his strongest comments yet criticising the security forces of Washington’s closest Middle East ally, Blinken called Ige’s killing “unprovoked and unjustified”. He said Washington would urge the Israeli government to make changes to the way its forces operate in the West Bank.
“Nobody should be shot and killed for taking part in a protest. Nobody should have to risk their life for freely expressing their views,” he told reporters in London.
“In our view, the Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes to their operations in the West Bank, including changes to their work manual.
“Now a second American citizen has lost his life at the hands of Israeli security forces. This is unacceptable,” he said.
An Israeli government spokesman declined to comment on Blinken’s remarks.
The Israeli military said the investigation by the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division was ongoing and that its findings would be submitted for a high-level review once completed.
“We’ll be watching this very closely,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters, adding that a criminal investigation by the Israeli military was an unusual step.
“We’re looking forward to seeing what happens next in terms of the criminal investigation and what is found, and whether anyone is held accountable and how,” Kirby said.
Agee’s family called the initial investigation “wholly inadequate” and urged U.S. President Joe Biden to demand an independent inquiry.
Preliminary investigation
In a statement, the Israeli military said its commanders had conducted a preliminary investigation into the incident and found that the target of the gunfire was not it but another man, described as “the main instigator of the riot.”
“The incident occurred during a violent riot in which dozens of Palestinian suspects burned tyres and threw stones at security forces at the Beita junction,” it said.
Israel has requested that Palestinian authorities conduct an autopsy.
Igy’s family said in a statement, “We are deeply saddened that his killing by a trained sniper was in any way unintentional.”
A surge in violent attacks 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 radical settler movement. Tensions have escalated amid Israel’s war against Hamas militants in Gaza.
Palestinians have staged weekly protests in Beita since 2020 over the expansion of nearby Evyatar, a settler outpost. Ultra-nationalist members of Israel’s ruling coalition have worked to legalise previously unauthorised outposts such as Evyatar, a move Washington says threatens the stability of the West Bank and undermines efforts toward a two-state solution to the conflict.
Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank of the Jordan River, territory that Palestinians want for a future independent state.
Israel has built several settlements there, which most countries consider illegal. Israel rejects this claim, citing historical and biblical ties to the region.
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