- Turkish-American activist Aysenur Eygi killed by Israeli soldiers
- Israel claims death accidental; witnesses say it was intentional
- Turkey demands justice; US urges Israel to investigate
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, has died, and her remains have been brought to Turkey to be buried in Didim, her hometown.
Last Friday, a Turkish-American activist was assassinated by the Israeli military while protesting illegal Israeli settlements.
Israel maintains Aysenur was killed unintentionally at a protest in Beita, near Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Still, new evidence contradicts this, with witnesses claiming Israeli soldiers purposefully killed her.
After a quick investigation, the Israeli army stated that it was “highly likely [she was] hit” by its soldiers, adding that it was “indirectly and unintentionally.”
Who was Aysenur?
Aysenur was a member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), which has been fighting Israel’s occupation of Palestine and its harsh treatment of Palestinians for years.
She had arrived in the occupied West Bank just a few days before she died to train with other volunteers before being sent to a protest atop a hill outside Beita alongside Palestinian, Israeli, and other international activists.
Her acquaintances describe her as a lovely, compassionate young woman with high ambitions for the future, including studying law. From an early age, people agreed that demonstrating for the rights of those whose rights were being taken away was vital to Aysenur.
What transpired that day?
On September 6, the congregation gathered for collective Friday lunchtime prayers. Israeli soldiers surrounded them while they prayed, and shortly after they ended, Israeli forces began firing and using tear gas as demonstrators threw stones back.
Aysenur and the other volunteers retreated around 200 meters (656 feet) down the hill, some erecting barriers behind them, such as rocks and a dumpster, to hinder any pursuit, before hiding under a tree to avoid the violence.
As the activists sought refuge, the Israeli forces regrouped, with images showing four soldiers positioned atop resident Ali Maali’s house, observing the marchers.
After roughly 20 minutes, according to Israeli activist Jonathan Pollak, two bullets were fired.
Aysenur was discovered lying face down. She’d been shot.
An unknown Palestinian youth, perhaps 17 years old, was 18 meters (60 feet) away from Aysenur when the other gunshot ricocheted and struck him in the leg.
“I found her lying on the ground…” “She’s bleeding from the head,” Pollak muttered, Aysenur’s blood still visible on his hand.
At 1:49 pm, the video shows Aysenur surrounded by paramedics before being carried into an ambulance. Doctors declared her dead shortly after.
What did the witnesses say?
There is no evidence of protester violence in any of the copious footage captured leading up to Aysenur’s murder.
A subsequent statement issued by the ISM directly contradicts Israeli claims of a physical disturbance prior to Aysenur’s killing, with one volunteer, Mariam Dag – a pseudonym – saying: “We were peacefully demonstrating alongside Palestinians against the colonization of their land and the illegal settlement of Evyatar.”
The situation escalated when the Israeli army began to fire tear gas and live ammunition, forcing us to retreat.
Mariam, another pseudonym for an Italian activist, stated that she was roughly 10 to 20 meters (30 to 60 feet) in front of Aysenur at the time the shooting occurred.
“We were over 200 meters below the army, which was stationed on the street and on a rooftop. “Clearly visible,” she stated.
“It was a planned kill shot to her head. “The fate that many Palestinians have suffered,” she stated.
What has Israel said?
Four days after Aysenur’s death, the Israeli army claimed she was killed while its soldiers attempted to control a disturbance.
According to its statement, the army considered it “highly likely that she was hit indirectly and unintentionally” by Israeli fire “which was not aimed at her, but aimed at the key instigator of the riot.”
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The event occurred during a violent riot in which dozens of Palestinian suspects burnt tires and threw rocks at security forces near the Beita Junction.
Despite demands from the Washington Post, the Israeli military has yet to provide evidence to substantiate its assertions.
What has the Turkish government said?
Turkey has initiated an investigation into Aysenur’s murder and has stated that it will pursue international arrest warrants for anyone guilty.
According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, Aysenur was “deliberately targeted and killed by Israeli soldiers during a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with Palestinians.”
“We will make every effort to ensure that this crime does not go unpunished.”
What has the US government said?
The US government has stated that it is “deeply disturbed” by the assassination of a citizen.
However, the US has decided not to conduct its investigation, as requested by Aysenur’s parents, and has instead urged Israel to review its own soldier’s shooting.
