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A US-Turkish twin citizen was shot lifeless by Israeli forces whereas protesting in opposition to Jewish settlements within the occupied West Financial institution on Friday, Turkey’s international ministry mentioned.
Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was shot within the head, in line with Turkish authorities, and died after being taken to a Palestinian hospital. Eygi was a well known activist in opposition to Israeli settlement enlargement within the city of Beita, outdoors Nablus, the place she was killed, Palestinian media reported.
Her demise comes at a time of excessive tensions between Turkey and Israel over the struggle in Gaza, which has additionally frayed the important thing relationship between Israel and the US, its closest ally. It follows an escalation of violence within the West Financial institution, the place Israeli forces over the previous two weeks have carried out one among their largest operations within the territory in years.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed reporters within the Dominican Republic on Friday that “we deplore this tragic loss. When we have now extra information, we are going to share it, make it out there and, as obligatory, we’ll act on it”, he added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned “Israel’s barbaric intervention in opposition to a civilian protest in opposition to the occupation within the West Financial institution” and mentioned his nation would “proceed to work on each platform to finish Israel’s occupation and genocide coverage”.
The Israeli navy mentioned its forces had fired in the direction of the demonstration after rocks have been thrown, however that it was nonetheless “trying into” studies Eygi was killed “on account of pictures fired within the space”.
Eygi’s is the third high-profile killing blamed on Israeli forces of a US citizen within the West Financial institution lately. Palestinian-American Shireen Abu Akleh, an Al Jazeera journalist, was shot lifeless by Israeli forces whereas masking a gun battle with militants within the Jenin refugee camp in Could 2022.
Omar As’advert, additionally a Palestinian-American nationwide, died from a coronary heart assault in January 2022 aged 78 after he was detained by Israeli forces at a checkpoint, gagged after which deserted.
Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, wrote on social media platform X on Friday: “One other crime added to the sequence of crimes dedicated day by day by the occupation forces, which require that their perpetrators be held accountable in worldwide courts.”
Palestinian well being authorities afterward Friday reported that 13-year outdated Bana Amjad Bakr had additionally been killed within the close by village of Qaryut. Eyewitnesses and Israeli human rights teams mentioned she was struck within the chest by a bullet whereas in her house as Israeli settlers clashed with residents.
Israeli navy personnel have been additionally reportedly within the space, and it stays unclear who fired the shot.
The Israeli navy on Friday mentioned its forces had pulled out of the town of Jenin and an adjoining refugee camp after an operation that it mentioned was additionally concentrating on militant hotspots in close by Tulkarem and the Jordan Valley.
Greater than 30 Palestinians have been killed within the operation, in line with the Palestinian well being ministry. The Israel navy claimed that 14 of them in Jenin alone have been armed militants.
Since Hamas’s October 7 assault triggered the struggle in Gaza, the Israel navy has intensified its raids within the West Financial institution, whereas Jewish settlers have stepped up their assaults in opposition to Palestinians. Israeli forces have killed greater than 630 Palestinians within the occupied territory, in line with UN figures, and settlers have killed no less than 11 in the midst of a whole bunch of assaults.
Over the identical interval, Palestinians within the West Financial institution have killed 18 Israelis, together with 13 troopers and 5 settlers, within the territory and one other 10 Israelis in Israel, in line with the UN.
On the identical time, settlement development has soared over the previous 18 months underneath the far-right Israeli authorities, after Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition entrusted a lot of the management over civilian affairs within the West Financial institution to pro-settlement ultranationalists.
