03:49Dozens gathered in the West Bank town of Nablus on Sunday to mourn the death of American-Turkish activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, after she was allegedly gunned down by Israeli forces during a protest in Beita on Friday.
Footage shows mourners gathering outside the Rafidia Hospital where Ezgi's body is being held, with many holding Palestinian flags.
"Aysenur was an American citizen who was killed by an American bullet paid for by the American people. It is high time that Israel is held accountable for its crimes and that it is [no longer] sponsored by the American regime," claimed Jonathan Pollack, an activist with the International Solidarity Movement.
"The bullet that killed Aysenur is the same [type of] bullet that [has] killed 17 other protesters in Beita since 2021," he continued. "It is the same bullet that killed people in Nur al-Shams and in Jenin and throughout the escalation in the West Bank. It is the same bullet that Israel used to perpetrate the genocide in Gaza with complete impunity."
Fatah Deputy Chairman Mahmoud Al-Aloul announced that Ezgi's body would continue to be held in the hospital's morgue while Turkish and American authorities come to an agreement on where the activist will be buried.
"The burial will be postponed until the parties reach an agreement. Otherwise, it would be Palestine's honour to bury the martyr Aisha on Palestinian soil," he stated.
The 26 year old journalist was allegedly killed by Israeli soldiers in Beita on Friday while participating in a weekly protest against the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, according to the International Solidarity Movement.
"While the protesters were performing prayers, the army responded by firing tear gas and live ammunition, which resulted in Aisha being shot in the head," the organisation alleged in a statement
The Israeli military stated that it is investigating the "claim of killing a foreign national by gunfire in the West Bank." The army also noted that during operations near Beita, their forces had fired at a 'main agitator' who was throwing stones at the troops and 'posed a threat'. It has also previously strongly denied claims of 'genocide' in Gaza, stating that its operations specifically target Hamas operatives and infrastructure.
The US State Department said that they are "aware of the killing of the American citizen in the West Bank and are in the process of gathering more information about the circumstances."
Meanwhile, another of Eygi's colleagues, Maryam, said that they have 'no trust' in the authorities' investigations into the activist's death.
"We're mourning and we're of course shocked, angry and we hope that there's going to be accountability but we have no trust in the Israeli authorities nor in the US or any other western [country]," she said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Eygi's killing and described the incident as "a barbaric Israeli intervention against a peaceful protest."
Tensions in the West Bank have been heightened since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, with more than 690 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
In the same period, at least 23 Israelis were killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians in the West Bank, according to official Israeli figures.
'An American killed by an American bullet' - Dozens gather in Nablus to mourn activist allegedly shot dead by IDF
Dozens gathered in the West Bank town of Nablus on Sunday to mourn the death of American-Turkish activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, after she was allegedly gunned down by Israeli forces during a protest in Beita on Friday.
Footage shows mourners gathering outside the Rafidia Hospital where Ezgi's body is being held, with many holding Palestinian flags.
"Aysenur was an American citizen who was killed by an American bullet paid for by the American people. It is high time that Israel is held accountable for its crimes and that it is [no longer] sponsored by the American regime," claimed Jonathan Pollack, an activist with the International Solidarity Movement.
"The bullet that killed Aysenur is the same [type of] bullet that [has] killed 17 other protesters in Beita since 2021," he continued. "It is the same bullet that killed people in Nur al-Shams and in Jenin and throughout the escalation in the West Bank. It is the same bullet that Israel used to perpetrate the genocide in Gaza with complete impunity."
Fatah Deputy Chairman Mahmoud Al-Aloul announced that Ezgi's body would continue to be held in the hospital's morgue while Turkish and American authorities come to an agreement on where the activist will be buried.
"The burial will be postponed until the parties reach an agreement. Otherwise, it would be Palestine's honour to bury the martyr Aisha on Palestinian soil," he stated.
The 26 year old journalist was allegedly killed by Israeli soldiers in Beita on Friday while participating in a weekly protest against the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, according to the International Solidarity Movement.
"While the protesters were performing prayers, the army responded by firing tear gas and live ammunition, which resulted in Aisha being shot in the head," the organisation alleged in a statement
The Israeli military stated that it is investigating the "claim of killing a foreign national by gunfire in the West Bank." The army also noted that during operations near Beita, their forces had fired at a 'main agitator' who was throwing stones at the troops and 'posed a threat'. It has also previously strongly denied claims of 'genocide' in Gaza, stating that its operations specifically target Hamas operatives and infrastructure.
The US State Department said that they are "aware of the killing of the American citizen in the West Bank and are in the process of gathering more information about the circumstances."
Meanwhile, another of Eygi's colleagues, Maryam, said that they have 'no trust' in the authorities' investigations into the activist's death.
"We're mourning and we're of course shocked, angry and we hope that there's going to be accountability but we have no trust in the Israeli authorities nor in the US or any other western [country]," she said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Eygi's killing and described the incident as "a barbaric Israeli intervention against a peaceful protest."
Tensions in the West Bank have been heightened since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, with more than 690 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
In the same period, at least 23 Israelis were killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians in the West Bank, according to official Israeli figures.
Dozens gathered in the West Bank town of Nablus on Sunday to mourn the death of American-Turkish activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, after she was allegedly gunned down by Israeli forces during a protest in Beita on Friday.
Footage shows mourners gathering outside the Rafidia Hospital where Ezgi's body is being held, with many holding Palestinian flags.
"Aysenur was an American citizen who was killed by an American bullet paid for by the American people. It is high time that Israel is held accountable for its crimes and that it is [no longer] sponsored by the American regime," claimed Jonathan Pollack, an activist with the International Solidarity Movement.
"The bullet that killed Aysenur is the same [type of] bullet that [has] killed 17 other protesters in Beita since 2021," he continued. "It is the same bullet that killed people in Nur al-Shams and in Jenin and throughout the escalation in the West Bank. It is the same bullet that Israel used to perpetrate the genocide in Gaza with complete impunity."
Fatah Deputy Chairman Mahmoud Al-Aloul announced that Ezgi's body would continue to be held in the hospital's morgue while Turkish and American authorities come to an agreement on where the activist will be buried.
"The burial will be postponed until the parties reach an agreement. Otherwise, it would be Palestine's honour to bury the martyr Aisha on Palestinian soil," he stated.
The 26 year old journalist was allegedly killed by Israeli soldiers in Beita on Friday while participating in a weekly protest against the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, according to the International Solidarity Movement.
"While the protesters were performing prayers, the army responded by firing tear gas and live ammunition, which resulted in Aisha being shot in the head," the organisation alleged in a statement
The Israeli military stated that it is investigating the "claim of killing a foreign national by gunfire in the West Bank." The army also noted that during operations near Beita, their forces had fired at a 'main agitator' who was throwing stones at the troops and 'posed a threat'. It has also previously strongly denied claims of 'genocide' in Gaza, stating that its operations specifically target Hamas operatives and infrastructure.
The US State Department said that they are "aware of the killing of the American citizen in the West Bank and are in the process of gathering more information about the circumstances."
Meanwhile, another of Eygi's colleagues, Maryam, said that they have 'no trust' in the authorities' investigations into the activist's death.
"We're mourning and we're of course shocked, angry and we hope that there's going to be accountability but we have no trust in the Israeli authorities nor in the US or any other western [country]," she said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Eygi's killing and described the incident as "a barbaric Israeli intervention against a peaceful protest."
Tensions in the West Bank have been heightened since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, with more than 690 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
In the same period, at least 23 Israelis were killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians in the West Bank, according to official Israeli figures.