Turkish-American activist killed by Israeli army mourned in Palestine

A funeral ceremony was held in Nablus, Palestine, for Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, a dual US-Turkish citizen and human rights activist who was killed by Israeli soldiers on Sep 6 during a protest in the occupied West Bank town of Beita.

The procession, which began at Rafidiye Hospital in Nablus, included international solidarity activists, local Palestinians, Turkey’s Consul General in Jerusalem İsmail Çobanoğlu, Nablus Governor Gassan Daglas, and civil society representatives. Eygi's body was carried from the hospital amid chants of “Allahu Akbar” and calls for freedom. 

Mourners carried banners reading, “May her blood pave the way to freedom. Rest in peace, our friend,” along with Palestinian flags and photos of Eygi. Her body was escorted with a formal military band before being placed in an ambulance.

Background 

Eygi, 26, was shot in the head by Israeli forces during a protest in the West Bank aimed at supporting Palestinians. She was taken to a Palestinian hospital but succumbed to her injuries despite efforts to save her. 

Gassan Daglas, the governor of Nablus, stated that an autopsy confirmed Eygi had been killed by an Israeli sniper. In response, the Israeli army announced an investigation into the incident.

Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Eygi’s death, describing it as a “murder” by Israeli occupation forces. The US government has also requested a thorough investigation from Israel, while Eygi's family has called on US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to ensure an independent inquiry into her death.

Eygi was a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), an organization that supports Palestinian rights under Israeli occupation. ISM previously gained international attention when American activist Rachel Corrie was killed by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003 while protesting in Gaza.

Eygi's family plans to bury her in Didim, Aydın in Turkey. (VK)