Witness testifies on death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, killed by Israel: Pursuit of justice

One of the witnesses to the murder of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the occupied West Bank said it is important to ensure justice not only for Eygi but for all those killed by Israel.

Australian citizen Helen Maria O’Sullivan testified as a witness in Ankara as part of the investigation into Israel’s killing of Eygi.

It is important to ensure justice not only for Eygi but for all those killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank and Gaza, O’Sullivan told Anadolu. She added that the investigation is a small part of the journey in the pursuit of justice.

In her commitment to Eygi, she stated that she would speak openly without hesitation. She added that she was silent for six weeks while in Palestine and she gave her statement but requested that her name be kept confidential.

Now that she is outside the West Bank, O’Sullivan is determined not to remain anonymous.

Talking to the prosecutor was one of the opportunities to openly discuss what happened on Sept. 6, when Eygi was killed by an Israeli sniper, she added. Volunteer activists recounted what they witnessed in the West Bank, and she provided testimony to the prosecutor.

She noted that they protected schoolchildren from attacks by Israeli settlers and stood alongside Palestinians in the olive groves.

Emphasizing that they were there to prevent and report attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, O’Sullivan highlighted their efforts to reflect the truth to the world. O’Sullivan expressed their intention to ensure that the international community says “enough is enough” on the deaths of children.

Eygi, 26, was killed by Israeli forces on Sept. 6 during a peaceful protest against illegal Israeli settlements near Nablus in the occupied West Bank. She was a human rights activist and a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, which supports Palestinians using peaceful and civil methods against Israel’s occupation. ​​​​​​​

A preliminary investigation by Israel found that Eygi was “highly likely” hit “indirectly and unintentionally” by Israeli fire that was targeting a “main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks” during the protest.

Video evidence and witness accounts, however, have contradicted Israel’s version of events, with many saying she was directly hit by an Israeli sniper.