Blinken Says Israel Needs To Make ‘Fundamental Changes’ In West Bank After Killing Of American

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The Israeli military said Tuesday an American activist killed in the West Bank last week was likely shot “indirectly and unintentionally” by soldiers firing upon participants in a demonstration against settlements that turned violent. The acknowledgement drew a strong rebuke from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the activist’s family.

Israel expressed its “deepest regret” for the death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old activist from Seattle who also held Turkish citizenship, and said a criminal investigation has been launched.

Blinken condemned the “unprovoked and unjustified” killing when asked about the Israeli inquiry at a news conference in London. “No one should be shot while attending a protest,” he said. “The Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way they operate in the West Bank.”

Eygi’s family in the U.S. released a statement saying “we are deeply offended by the suggestion that her killing by a trained sniper was in any way unintentional. The disregard shown for human life in the inquiry is appalling.”

An Israeli protester who witnessed the shooting, Jonathan Pollak, said Eygi was killed about half an hour after clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces had subsided, in an area several hundred meters (yards) from where the demonstration took place. Pollak said he saw two Israeli soldiers mount the roof of a nearby home, train a gun in the group’s direction and fire, with one of the bullets striking Eygi in the head.

Israel said its inquiry into Eygi’s killing “found that it is highly likely that she was hit indirectly and unintentionally by (Israeli army) fire which was not aimed at her, but aimed at the key instigator of the riot.”

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