Mon Sep 09 15:08:04 UTC 2024: ## US-Turkish Activist Killed in West Bank Protest, Hundreds Mourn in Nablus
**Nablus, West Bank** – Hundreds of mourners gathered in Nablus on Monday to pay their respects to Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old US-Turkish activist who was killed during a protest against Israeli settlements in the nearby town of Beita.
Eygi’s body, wrapped in a Palestinian flag and adorned with a traditional keffiyeh, was carried through the streets of Nablus by Palestinian security forces. The procession was accompanied by the sound of Palestinian bagpipes before a wreath was placed over her remains.
The UN rights office reported that Eygi was killed by a “shot in the head” fired by Israeli forces. The mayor of Beita and the Palestinian news agency Wafa also confirmed that she was killed by Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli army acknowledged firing in the Beita area and stated that they are “looking into reports that a foreign national was killed as a result of shots fired”.
The United Nations stated that Eygi was participating in a “peaceful anti-settlement protest” in Beita, which has seen weekly demonstrations.
Turkey condemned Eygi’s death, while the United States called it “tragic” and urged Israel to investigate the incident.
The memorial was originally scheduled for Sunday but was postponed due to a dispute between the US and Turkey over “details such as the burial location and the route her body would take”, according to Mahmud al-Aloul, a senior Fatah official.
The memorial drew large crowds, with Aloul stating that “Palestine would be honored for the martyr to be buried here”.
Eygi’s death comes amidst a period of heightened tensions in the West Bank. Since Hamas’s attack on Israel in October, Israeli troops or settlers have killed more than 662 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank, where around 490,000 people reside, are considered illegal under international law.
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