The White House said it was “deeply troubled” by the death of an American woman who was shot in the head by Israeli forces during a protest against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian officials and witnesses. The White House also called for an Israeli investigation into the woman’s killing, which has sparked strong international backlash.
The U.S. State Department confirmed the death of Aychenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, a volunteer peace activist with the International Solidarity Movement against Occupation (ISM).
Egi, a dual U.S. and Turkish citizen, died on Friday after being shot during a routine protest against settlement expansion in Beita, near Nablus, the Palestinian state news agency Wafa reported.
ISM, which organizes foreign volunteers in the Palestinian territories, said Israeli forces “deliberately shot and killed” an international human rights activist during a weekly protest on Friday morning. The group did not name the volunteer.
“The demonstration, where mostly men and children were praying, was met with violence from Israeli forces stationed on the hill. The volunteer died shortly after being taken to a local hospital in Nablus,” ISM said in a statement.
The family said they asked for privacy as they mourn their loss, and that “the family’s wish to be able to grieve in peace should be respected by all as they navigate this tragic and difficult situation.”
The United States has not said whether Eigi was shot by Israeli forces. “We are urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death and will comment further once we have more details,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
US Ambassador to Israel Jacob Liu agreed, writing to X that he offered his “deepest condolences” to Egi’s family and loved ones. “Nothing takes priority over the safety and security of the American people,” he added.
The White House said it had contacted the Israeli government to request an investigation into Eigi’s killing. “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an American, Ayshenoor Ezghi Eigi, today in the West Bank, and our hearts go out to her family and loved ones,” White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Sabet said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the country’s top diplomat, lamented the “tragic loss.” “As more information becomes available, we will share it, we will make it public and we will act as necessary,” he told reporters, according to AFP.
Turkey’s foreign ministry said it learned “with deep sadness” that a Turkish national had been killed. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed Israel for “brutal interference in civilian protests” that led to Aygi’s death.
The Israeli army confirmed it had fired on protesters and said it was investigating reports that a foreigner had been killed. The IDF said it had “returned fire to the main perpetrators of violence, who were hurling stones and making threats towards our troops.”
Agui graduated from the University of Washington earlier this year, said Alia Fani, an assistant professor of Middle Eastern languages and cultures. She said Agui was a good student and a good person.
He said he met Eigi about two months ago and urged her not to go to the West Bank because he was concerned about her safety.
The University of Washington said she served as a peer mentor at the university, “welcoming new students to the department and positively impacting their lives.”
The university’s president, Ana Mari Kaousse, said in a statement that Egi’s killing was “horrible” and called for a “ceasefire and resolution of the crisis” in the West Bank.
“Our deepest condolences go to Aychenour’s family, friends and loved ones,” she added.
Pramila Jayapal, the US representative in the region, said in a statement that Egi’s death was a “horrific tragedy.”
“My office is actively working to gather more information about the events that led to her death,” Jayapal said. “I am deeply troubled by reports that she was killed by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers. The Netanyahu administration has done nothing to stop settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, which is often encouraged by his administration’s right-wing ministers. The killing of a U.S. citizen is a horrifying testament to the senseless war of rising tensions in the region.”
According to the Associated Press, Egi is the third ISM activist to be killed since 2000. ISM said she is the 18th protester killed in Beita since 2020.
In 2003, Rachel Corley, a 23-year-old American from Olympia, Washington, was killed by an Israeli bulldozer while protesting the Israeli military’s demolition of her home in Rafah, southern Gaza.
A month later, 22-year-old British man Tom Hurndall was shot in the head while helping Palestinian children cross the road in Rafah and died the following year. An Israeli soldier was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in prison.
In August, an American activist said he was shot in the leg by Israeli forces during a protest in Beita. Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, the man said he was shot as he fled after Israeli forces “fired tear gas and live ammunition at us.”