Who was Aysenur Ezgi Eygi? Turkish-American killed in Israeli-occupied West Bank

A 26-year-old American woman was killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Friday, September 6, Palestinian doctors told The Associated Press.

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, of Turkish descent, was allegedly shot in the head by Israeli troops during a pro-protest Palestinian protest against settlement expansion in the town of Beita near Nablus.

Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the American activist had been campaigning to protect farmers from Israeli settler violence, which has notably surged since October 2023.

Per Dr Ward Basalat's revelations to the media, Eygi died shortly after arriving at Rafida Hospital. The head of the hospital, Dr Fouad Naffa, also confirmed that an American citizen had died.

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Who was Aysenur Ezgi Eygi?

The Turkish-American woman was volunteering with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), per Everyday Palestine. She arrived at the site of tension this week.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Eygi succumbed to her injuries after being shot by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The national military has yet to confirm these details. Notably, she wasn't the only person to be left wounded after the gunfire. While one of the alleged live bullets fired by the Israeli army hit the foreign activist, another targetted an unidentified person, who is expected to survive, per the Daily Mail.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Eygi, a psychology graduate of the University of Washington with a minor in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, was employed as an undergraduate peer mentor. Though reportedly from Antalya, Turkey, she attended West Seattle High School, per her Facebook page.

Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas spoke up against the Friday killing. “This is her life, a foreign citizen holding American nationality … during peaceful popular protests,” he said in a statement to Reuters.

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“All legal measures will be submitted to the International Criminal Court,” he continued. “The bullets do not distinguish between a Palestinian, a child, a woman, or any nationality.”

“Now her life is lost, she is an American citizen holding American nationality, which means Israel is crossing all lines.”

The governor also urged US President Joe Biden to “stop all support to the occupying state” because it “is working hard to bomb hospitals and kill children and kill foreigners, including American nationals.”

Aysenur Ezgi's death adds to the slew of attacks on activists. A month ago, another US demonstrator was shot in the leg in a protest in Beita. Per Everyday Palestine's insight, Aysenur is the third ISM volunteer to succumb to their fate in the wake of the Israel-Palestine conflict following similar deaths of Rachel Corrie and Tom Hurndall in 2003 and 2004, respectively, at the hands of Israeli snipers. Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by the Israel Defense Forces in 2022.

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