US Activist Killed by Israeli Forces in West Bank

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Facts

  • Dual US-Turkish citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi succumbed to her wounds on Friday after being shot in the head by Israeli forces near Nablus in the northern West Bank, according to local reports, the US, and Turkey.[1]
  • Witnesses said that Eygi had been attending a protest against settlement expansion in the area. Israel's military said it was investigating the killing, but it confirmed that troops had opened fire. The US said that it was also investigating the incident.[2]
  • The Israeli military claimed that its forces 'responded with fire toward a main instigator of violent activity.' Witnesses did not deny that stones were thrown at Israeli soldiers but said Eygi was shot afterward.[3]
  • Turkey's President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, called the incident 'barbaric,' while the Turkish foreign ministry levied blame on Israeli forces.[4]
  • Eygi's death comes as Israel wraps up one of its largest military operations in the West Bank in two decades, with Israeli forces withdrawing from Jenin and its refugee camp on Friday after a nine-day offensive. The incursion displaced thousands of residents.[][5]
  • Israeli forces killed at least 21 people in Jenin, most of whom were claimed by militant groups. Some of those killed were civilians, including a 16-year-old girl. Israel said its operation in Jenin is not over and is only paused currently. Almost 700 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October.[5][6]

Sources: [1]Reuters (a), [2]CBS, [3]New York Times, [4]BBC News, [5]Reuters (b) and [6]CNN.

Narratives

  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. This incident is an unfortunate tragedy that Israel will thoroughly investigate. Demonstrators threw stones at Israeli forces, forcing them to respond with live fire. Unfortunately, those in the immediate vicinity of violent protests will inevitably face risks.
  • Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. Eygi was one of many foreign nationals who Israel's war machine has murdered for standing up for Palestinian rights. Israeli forces fired a single bullet, long after any stone-throwing, making it clear that Eygi was intentionally shot.

Predictions