The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is investigating the death of a dual Turkish-US citizen during clashes on Friday with terrorists in the Palestinian Authority town of Beita.
“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 said in a statement.
“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.”
The foreign national, 26-year-old Aysenur Eygi, was reportedly an activist with the “International Solidarity Movement” (ISM), a pro-Hamas and Hezbollah “resistance” organization that has worked against Israel for more than a decade through various provocations, confrontations, defamations and boycotts. (For example: ISM founder Paul Larudi praised the October 7th massacre of 1,200 Israelis and others, claiming “Today our Palestinian brothers and sisters are teaching the Zionists a lesson.”)
It’s not clear how Eygi entered the territory, though it is believed she entered under guise as a tourist.
“During the weekly demonstration in Beita, Palestine, on the morning of September 6th, 2024, the Israeli army intentionally shot and killed an International Solidarity Movement (ISM) human rights activist named Ayşenur Eygi,” the ISM said in a statement on its website.
“The demonstration, which primarily involved men and children praying, was met with force from the Israeli army stationed on a hill. Initially, the army fired a large amount of tear gas and then began using live ammunition,” the organization said.
“The Israeli forces fired two rounds. One hit a Palestinian man in the leg, injuring him. The other round was fired at international human rights activists who were observing the demonstration, striking a human rights activist in the head. Eygi died shortly after being transported to a local hospital in Nablus,” ISM wrote.
Another activist with the organization, whose name was not published, claimed the mob was “peacefully demonstrating alongside Palestinians against the colonization of their land, and the illegal settlement of Evyatar,” when Eygi was hit.
“The army intentionally shot her in the head,” said the fellow activist. “This is just another example of the decades of impunity granted to the Israeli government and army, bolstered by the support of the US and European governments, who are complicit in enabling genocide in Gaza.”
Unsurprisingly, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan added his own strong condemnation of the incident, claiming Israeli forces “murdered our young child.”
Speaking at an event in Istanbul, Erdogan said that now Israel aims to commit genocide in both the West Bank and Gaza and to occupy these areas as well, Turkey’s official Anadolu Agency reported.
“Yesterday, they (Israel) heinously murdered our young child, Aysenur Eygi. To date, they have killed over 40,000 innocent civilians, including 17,000 children,” Erdogan said. “They attack barbarically and shed blood indiscriminately, whether it be children, women, youth, or the elderly.”
Erdogan also urged Islamic countries to form an alliance against what he called “the growing threat of expansionism” from Israel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz slammed Erdogan’s remarks.
“Erdogan continues to throw the Turkish people into the fire of hatred and violence for the sake of his Hamas friends,” Katz wrote in a post on the X social media platform.
“Today, he calls on Islamic nations to form an alliance against Israel, claiming “Israel wants to conquer countries in the region, including Turkey.” This is a dangerous lie and incitement.
“Israel is defending its borders and citizens from the murderers and rapists of Hamas, and from the Shiite axis of evil led by Iran. Erdogan and the Muslim Brotherhood alliance have been working for years alongside Iran to undermine moderate Arab regimes in the Middle East.
Erdogan should be silent and ashamed”.
.@RTErdogan continues to throw the Turkish people into the fire of hatred and violence for the sake of his Hamas friends.
Today, he calls on Islamic nations to form an alliance against Israel, claiming "Israel wants to conquer countries in the region, including Turkey." This is… pic.twitter.com/jh5biai7vr
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) September 7, 2024
The American response to the incident was more nuanced, with both the US Ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken cautioning that no conclusions could be reached without first investigating all the facts.
Lew responded with “deepest condolences” and assurances that “we have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens.”
We are aware of the tragic death of an American citizen, Aysenur Eygi, today in the West Bank. We offer our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. We are urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death, and will have more to say as we learn…
— Ambassador Jack Lew (@USAmbIsrael) September 6, 2024
Blinken likewise extended “deepest condolences” on behalf of the government to Eygi’s family but urged patience.
Speaking at a joint news conference on Friday in Santo Domingo with Dominican President Luis Abinader, Blinken told reporters: “We deplore this tragic loss.
“Now the most important thing to do is to gather the facts, and that’s exactly what we’re in the process of doing, and we are intensely focused on getting those facts. And any actions that we take are driven by the facts. So first things first, let’s find out exactly what happened, and we will draw the necessary conclusions, consequences from that.
“As you’ve heard me say many times before, I have no higher priority than the safety and protection of American citizens around the world, wherever they are, something I take with the utmost seriousness. So when we have more info, we’ll share it, make it available, and as necessary, we’ll act on it,” he added.
