US defense chief pressures Israel over fatal shooting of Turkish-American activist

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged the Israeli military to reexamine its rules of engagement during a phone call Tuesday with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, following the death of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the occupied West Bank, according to the Pentagon.

“Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant today to express his grave concern over the IDF’s responsibility for the unprovoked and unjustified death of American citizen Aysenur Eygi while she was attending a protest in the West Bank,” the Pentagon said in a statement, using an acronym for Israeli Defense Forces.

Austin called on Gallant to review the IDF’s operational conduct in the region, particularly regarding the rules of engagement in the West Bank.

Eygi, 26, a dual Turkish and U.S. national, was fatally shot by Israeli forces last Friday during a protest against Israeli settlements in Beita, a town near Nablus. The Israeli military said Tuesday that it is “highly likely” she was “indirectly and unintentionally” struck by gunfire from its soldiers.

U.S. President Joe Biden described Eygi’s death as an “accident,” stating that the bullet apparently “ricocheted off the ground, and she got hit.” However, the White House confirmed that Biden has not yet spoken to Eygi’s family to offer condolences, with National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby addressing the matter on Monday.

‘There is no difference’

Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Envoy to the U.N. Robert Wood responded on Tuesday to criticism over Washington’s handling of Eygi’s killing by Israeli forces, stressing that all American citizens are treated equally in such cases.

“There is no difference between American citizens when it comes to tragedies like this,” Wood said, addressing concerns over the U.S. government’s response to Eygi’s death in the occupied West Bank.

Eygi’s family, partner reject Biden’s statement

In a separate statement, Eygi’s family expressed outrage at any suggestion her death was accidental, reiterating their call for an independent investigation.

“The Israeli military’s preliminary inquiry into Aysenur’s killing is wholly inadequate. We are deeply offended by the suggestion that her death by a trained sniper was unintentional,” the family said.

The family urged President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to take immediate action, calling for a thorough and independent investigation into Eygi’s death.

Meanwhile, Eygi’s partner rejected Biden’s characterization of her death as “an accident.”

“She was fatally shot in the head by a bullet from an Israeli sniper positioned 200 meters away. This was no accident, and her killer must be held accountable,” Hamid Ali, Eygi’s partner, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Ali emphasized that Eygi had been “peacefully standing for justice as an international observer and witness to Palestinian suffering” at the time of the shooting.