An investigation conducted by the Washington Post found that Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, the American Turkish rights activist who was killed near Nablus on Friday, was shot to death more than half an hour after the violation of order in the Palestinian settlement of Beita. The report was published overnight between Wednesday and Thursday.
The IDF announced two days ago as part of a preliminary investigation that Eygi was likely hit indirectly and unintentionally by Israeli military fire that was aimed at a "key instigator" of a violent riot, not at the activist. The IDF spokesperson noted that the incident occurred during a violent gathering of dozens of Palestinian rioters, who burned tires and threw rocks at forces at the Beita intersection near Nablus.
The finding of the IDF investigation will be forwarded to the military prosecutor when it is completed. The IDF has submitted a request to autopsy the body. "The IDF regrets the death of a civilian," the spokesman said in a statement.
The IDF spokesman also stated that "Following the case, an investigation by the investigative military police was opened, upon completion the findings will be forwarded to the military attorney's office for consideration. Israel submitted its request to perform an autopsy on the body. The IDF regrets the death of the civilian."
The Washington Post investigation finds, however, that "Eygi was shot more than a half-hour after the height of confrontations in Beita, and some 20 minutes after protesters had moved down the main road — more than 200 yards away from Israeli forces. A Palestinian teenager, who witnesses say was standing about 20 yards from Eygi, was wounded by Israeli fire; the IDF would not say if he was a target."
The newspaper said that the investigation conducted is based on numerous testimonies and an in-depth analysis of visual materials from the incident. The newspaper interviewed "13 eyewitnesses and Beita residents and reviewed more than 50 videos and photos provided exclusively by the International Solidarity Movement, the organization Eygi was volunteering with." The videos and photos were taken in real time during the demonstration in the village of Beita in the West Bank.
According to witnesses who were present at the scene, at the time of the shooting the demonstration had already dispersed and the violent clashes that took place at the beginning of the riot had calmed down. The testimonies of the participants raise the suspicion that the shooting was not carried out in direct response to any danger from the protesters, the newspaper said.
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Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was brought to a West Bank hospital after she was shot in the head
(Photo: AFP)
The investigation also relied on the analysis of about 50 videos and photos taken during the event. The visual materials collected indicate that the shooting was directed at demonstrators who were already retreating and did not pose a direct threat to the security forces, according to the newspaper. The videos show that Eygi was part of a group of protesters who moved back as the soldiers opened fire.
The IDF, citing its ongoing investigation, declined to answer questions from The Post about the incident.
Jonathan Pollak, a longtime Israeli activist who frequently attends the weekly Beita demonstrations, told the newspaper that “the Israeli soldiers were very provocative.”
He noted that a soldier standing on the roof of one of the houses was “training his gun in our direction.” He and other activists said he was the closest person to Israeli troops at the time, just over 200 yards away; Eygi was around 30 yards further.
The newspaper added that Pollak and some other people later heard two shots, while others testified that they heard three. According to the report, an Australian activist in her early 60s named Helen saw Eygi fall to the ground next to her after the shooting. She turned Eygi over, and blood poured from the left side of her head. According to Helen, Eygi was unresponsive.
The newspaper reported that Eygi's death raises difficult questions about the conduct of the Israeli security forces, and has led to international calls for a comprehensive investigation and changes in Israel's approach to Palestinian protests in the West Bank.
After the breach of order in Beita, the IDF spokesman stated that "during Israeli security forces activity adjacent to the area of Beita, the forces responded with fire toward a main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks at the forces and posed a threat to them. The IDF is looking into reports that a foreign national was killed as a result of shots fired in the area. The details of the incident and the circumstances in which she was hit are under review."
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US Presidfent Joe Biden called the incident 'totally unacceptable'
(Photo: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)
On Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden responded to Eygi's killing, saying that her death was "totally unacceptable" and that he was "outraged and deeply saddened" by it. According to Biden, "There must be full accountability. And Israel must do more to ensure that incidents like this never happen again."
"The U.S. government has had full access to Israel’s preliminary investigation, and expects continued access as the investigation continues, so that we can have confidence in the result. We will continue to stay in close contact with Israeli and Palestinian authorities regarding the circumstances that led to Aysenur’s death," Biden also said in a statement.
On Sunday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken commented on the findings of the IDF's investigation, saying that: "In our judgment, Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way that they operate in the West Bank, including changes to their rules of engagement.
"No one should be shot and killed for attending a protest," he also said.