White House requests investigation of American woman's killing in West Bank

The family of a 26-year-old American citizen killed amid a protest in the occupied West Bank said an Israeli military shooter killed her, and said an Israeli investigation into the incident would not be enough.

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a recent graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle, was fatally shot during a demonstration in Beita on Friday, the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), said.

Eygi's family said, "Aysenur was peacefully standing for justice when she was killed by a bullet that video shows came from an Israeli military shooter."

"We welcome the White House's statement of condolences, but given the circumstances of Aysenur's killing, an Israeli investigation is not adequate," her family said in a statement.

"We call on President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Secretary of State Blinken to order an independent investigation into the unlawful killing of a U.S. citizen and to ensure full accountability for the guilty parties," they said.

The White House said it has asked Israel's government for more information and requested an investigation. National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said they were "deeply disturbed" by Eygi's death.

The ISM said Eygi was taking part in its weekly demonstration in the town of Beita, north of Ramallah, against the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

In a statement, the organization said the protest "primarily involved men and children praying" and was met with force by the IDF who fired tear gas before using live ammunition.

The ISM said Eygi was shot in the head and died shortly after she was taken to a hospital in Nablus. Eygi is the 18th demonstrator to be killed in Beita since 2020, and the only non-Palestinian, according to the ISM.

The Israel Defense