The tragic killing of 26-year-old Turkish-American activist Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi has sent shockwaves throughout both Türkiye and the international community. Eygi fell when she was shot in the head by Israeli forces during an innocent protest against illegal Israeli settlements in Beita, a village near Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Her death underlines not only the increasing violence in that part of the world but also defines her as a Turkish national, an ardent activist for the rights of the Palestinians, and a volunteer committed to standing up against oppression.
Born in 1998 in Antalya, Eygi had moved to Seattle with her family when she was still a baby, growing up as a dual citizen of both Türkiye and the US. She remained attached to her Turkish roots despite her physical distance from the homeland. Graduating from the University of Washington after studying psychology and languages and cultures of the Middle East, she started working with the International Solidarity Movement -an organization known for non-violent protests and rights activists for Palestinians. Through the years, ISM has been involved in some historic instants of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with activists like Rachel Corrie also losing their lives in the process of resisting Israeli occupation.
This could be represented by Eygi's involvement in the Fazaa campaign to protect Palestinian farmers from harassment by illegal settlers. Her commitment was there in her final moments when she reportedly told her friends, "We need to be doing more," thus reflecting her urgent desire to give more of herself in the struggle.
On the day of the protest, Eygi was accompanying international activists and Palestinians, who were demonstrating against the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, one of the contentious issues in the West Bank. As the protest heat up, Israeli soldiers opened fire on demonstrators. Eygi was struck in the head by a sniper's bullet while descending a hill after prayers with local Palestinians. Despite immediate medical intervention on her arrival at Rafidia Hospital, Eygi's injuries proved fatal; she was pronounced dead. According to Dr. Fouad Nafaa, head of the hospital, she had fixed dilated pupils with no heartbeat at all, not even after trying to revive her.
The killing of Eygi has come to illustrate a pattern of violence against activists and journalists in the Occupied Territories, bringing to the surface the memory of the tragic murder in 2022 of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist. Both were very well-recognized, and their deaths have caused uproar and called for accountability regarding systemic violence against those protesting Israel's actions in the West Bank.
The Israeli military claimed at first that the shooting came after the targeting of a "key instigator" in what they described as a "violent riot”. However, that explanation has met skepticism. Eyewitnesses and activists contend that Eygi was targeted on purpose, since she was not participating in the rock-throwing and stood away from the main conflict area. So far, the military's claiming the shot was "indirect and unintentional" has done little to dampen the outrage, critics demanding a full and transparent investigation.
President Joe Biden let his outrage and sadness be known over Eygi's death, saying "the shooting that led to her death is totally unacceptable" and called for a fundamental change in the way Israeli forces operate in the West Bank. Biden's remarks represented a grave revision of an earlier characterization of the incident by him as an "accident," following a briefing of preliminary findings from the IDF. It was later explained by the IDF that he was "highly likely" to have been hit "indirectly and unintentionally" as he aimed at what they described as a "violent riot". Condemns were expressed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as well, pressing for changes in Israeli military practices.
Her family has slammed the probe as insufficient and called for an independent investigation into her death. They said they felt deeply disappointed with the suggestion that a trained sniper's actions could be considered unintentional.
The incident comes amidst broader violence in the region. The Palestinian authorities in Gaza and the West Bank have reported several casualties from Israeli airstrikes. At least 24 people were killed in an attack over the weekend in Gaza, while five others were killed in Tubas, a village in the West Bank. This strike only adds to the growing conflict, with an extremely noticeable surge in violence since October of 2023.
The death of Eygi also increased more severe criticism by the international community against Israel's handling of protests in the West Bank, with fresh calls for accountability and justice. The U.S. Department of State urged Israel to undertake a very thorough, transparent investigation; findings from that should be provided to the U.S. Government.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority held a funeral procession for Eygi in Nablus. Her death has brought an official reaction from the government of Türkiye, which is struggling to bring her body back home. Strong condemnation of the killing came from the Turkish Foreign Ministry; the spokesman, Öncü Keçeli, expressed profound regret over the loss of a Turkish citizen. The Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye in Jerusalem is in contact with the local Palestinian authorities to ensure that the procedure of transferring her body to her family is performed as soon as possible. Her parents, on the other hand, are being flown from the United States to Türkiye, where her burial is expected to be held in the coastal town of Didim, according to the wishes of her family.
For Türkiye, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi represents far more than just an activist; she is a symbol of the nation's solidarity with Palestinians and a reminder of the cost of standing against injustice. Her death has left an indelible stain on both Türkiye and the international community, highlighting the risks one faces when standing up against the Israeli occupation.