American citizen 'killed by Israeli police' in West Bank protest

6 September 2024, 22:28 | Updated: 6 September 2024, 22:31

A 26-year-old American activist has been shot dead after Israeli police opened fire during a protest in the occupied West Bank.

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who was a Turkish-American citizen, was reportedly taking part in a demonstration against the expansion of Israeli settlements in the town of Beita near Nablus.

According to local reports, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has said it is "looking into reports that a foreign national was killed as a result of shots fired in the area".

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described Ms Eygi’s death as a “tragic loss.”

Read more: President Joe Biden to host Keir Starmer in White House meeting

Read more: Colt Gray, 14, and father appear in court over Georgia school shooting

He added: "When we have more info, we will share it, make it available and, as necessary, we'll act on it."

Speaking earlier today, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the White House is "urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death".

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described her death as “barbaric.”

Ms Eygi was reportedly rushed to hospital before being pronounced dead.

In a statement, the IDF said: "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 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."

Jonathan Pollak, an activist at the same protest as Ms Eygi said he heard two separate shots from Israeli police.

"I found her lying on the ground, beside the tree, bleeding from her head," Mr Pollak told AFP news agency, his hand still covered in blood.

"I took her pulse, she had a very weak pulse, we called the ambulance.

"From there we evacuated her to the village's medical centre, where the doctor came into the ambulance and continued into the hospital, where they tried to resuscitate her but failed."

Israeli settlements in the West Bank, in which 700,000 Jewish residents live, are illegal under international law, UK law and the UN Security Council.