The US continues to press Israel for answers and “full accountability” on the killing of Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the occupied West Bank last September, a State Department spokesperson told Anadolu on Thursday.
“We urged the Government of Israel to complete a swift, thorough, and transparent investigation into Aysenur Eygi’s death,” said the spokesperson, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
“Israel’s initial inquiry indicated it was the result of a tragic error for which the IDF is responsible,” said the spokesperson.
The official added that Washington is still requesting the results of Israel’s full military investigation and is pressing for greater access to the findings.
“We will continue to press the Government of Israel for answers and for continued access to the findings of the investigation so we can have confidence in the results,” said the spokesperson. “There must be full accountability to prevent this from happening again.”
The statement was in response to Anadolu’s inquiry about a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio by eight members of Congress, demanding answers on Eygi’s killing.
The March 14 letter, made public Wednesday, was signed by senators Peter Welch, Patty Murray, Jeff Merkley, Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen, as well as Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Sara Jacobs and Joaquin Castro. The lawmakers urged the agency to push Israel for answers and demanded a US-led investigation into the case.
Comparing Eygi’s killing to the 2022 death of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, the lawmakers raised concerns about Israeli military accountability and pressed the Trump administration for concrete answers.
Asked whether Rubio had received the letter and how he planned to respond, the spokesperson declined to comment.
“Aysenur Eygi’s killing in the West Bank last September is a tragedy,” the spokesperson added.
Eygi, 26, a dual US Turkish national, was killed by Israeli forces Sept. 6 during a protest against illegal Israeli settlements near Nablus.
The Biden administration had previously called for a “swift, thorough, and transparent investigation” into her killing but no accountability has been achieved to date.
Israel’s preliminary investigation concluded that Eygi was “highly likely” hit “indirectly and unintentionally” by Israeli fire targeting a “main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks” during the protest.
Video evidence and witness accounts, however, contradict Israeli claims, with many asserting that she was directly hit by an Israeli sniper.
Eygi’s family also believes she was deliberately targeted and is urging the US to launch an independent investigation into her killing.