[D66] Family of U.S. citizen killed in the West Bank demands independent investigation into her death

[René Oudeweg]

[Mandatory investigation, agree.]

cbsnews.com
Family of U.S. citizen killed in the West Bank demands independent 
investigation into her death
Elizabeth Palmer
4–5 minutes

Updated on: September 7, 2024 / 12:44 PM EDT / CBS News

Family of U.S. citizen killed by Israeli forces wants independent 
investigation into her death 02:25

The family of Aysenur Eygi, an American woman who was shot and killed in 
the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Friday, is demanding an independent 
investigation into her death.

Witnesses, activists and Palestinian media said the dual U.S.-Turkish 
national was shot by Israeli troops while attending a pro-Palestinian 
demonstration against settlement expansion in the Nablus area of the 
northern West Bank, near the town of Beita.

Palestinian medics rushed Eygi to an ambulance, but by the time she got 
to the hospital, it was too late.

"They killed her. They shot her in the head," a woman told CBS News.

Jonathan Pollak, with the Defend Palestine activist group who was 
participating in the protest, told CBS News that IDF forces fired two 
shots from a distance of 150 or 200 yards during the protest attended by 
the American woman. He said the first bullet hit a local boy in the 
thigh and the second hit the U.S. demonstrator, who was standing under 
an olive tree.

"I saw her lying on the ground under an olive tree. Bleeding to death. I 
looked up and I saw a clear line of sight to the soldiers," he said.

Asked about the incident, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement 
that troops operating near Beita had "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 it was "looking into reports that a foreign national was 
killed as a result of shots fired in the area" and that the "details of 
the incident and the circumstances in which she was hit are under review."

Eygi, who was raised in Seattle, arrived in the West Bank days before 
her death to volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, which 
helps young foreigners support Palestinians. Pollack helps train them.

She was attending a weekly demonstration against settlement expansion 
that has been held for years and has often brought Israeli crackdowns 
and protester stone-throwing.

According to a statement from the BBC released by her family on social 
media, Eygi had just turned 26 and graduated three months ago from the 
University of Washington, where she studied psychology and Middle 
Eastern languages and cultures. Her family said she was "compelled to 
travel to the West Bank to stand in solidarity with Palestinian 
civilians who continue to endure ongoing repression and violence."

"A U.S. citizen, Aysenur was peacefully standing for justice when she 
was killed by a bullet that video shows came from an Israeli military 
shooter," the statement says. "We call on President Biden, Vice 
President (Kamala) Harris and Secretary of State (Antony) Blinken to 
order an independent investigation into the unlawful killing of a U.S. 
citizen and to ensure full accountability for the guilty parties."

"We deplore this tragic loss," Blinken said during a Friday visit to the 
Dominican Republic, adding that when the U.S. government had more 
information, "we will share it, make it available and, as necessary, 
we'll act on it."

At least three activists from the International Solidarity Movement have 
been killed since 2000.