A group of 103 US lawmakers is urging the Biden administration to launch an independent investigation into the killing of Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank. The lawmakers, including prominent members of Congress such as Adam Smith, Pramila Jayapal, and Bernie Sanders, are demanding a transparent and credible inquiry into Eygi’s death.
Eygi, a 26-year-old dual Turkish-US national, was fatally shot by Israeli forces during a peaceful protest against illegal settlements near Nablus. Despite initial claims by the Israeli army that her death was accidental, video evidence and eyewitness accounts suggest otherwise. Eygi’s family is calling for accountability and believes she was targeted deliberately.
A recent report by The Washington Post revealed discrepancies in the Israeli army’s version of events, indicating Eygi was shot long after the peak of hostilities and far away from the protests. A graduate of the University of Washington, Eygi had traveled to the West Bank as a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement to assist Palestinian farmers.