NABLUS: The Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA) held a funeral procession Monday for a Turkish-American dual national activist who was shot and killed by Israeli forces while demonstrating against settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Hundreds of mourners—including several leading PA officials—attended the procession. Security forces carried the body of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, which was draped in a Palestinian flag, with her head covered by a keffiyeh, a traditional scarf symbolising the Palestinian struggle against Israel. The 26-year-old's body was then placed into the back of a Palestinian ambulance.
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Oncu Keceli said Turkey was working on repatriating Eygi's remains for burial in the Aegean coastal town of Didim as per her family's wishes, but "because the land crossing from the Palestinian territories to Jordan was closed as of Sunday, the ministry was trying to have the body flown directly to Turkey."
US officials did not respond to a request for comment.
Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli peace activist who participated in Friday's protest, said Israeli forces shot her on Friday in the city of Nablus while posing no threat, adding that the killing happened during a period of calm after clashes between soldiers and Palestinian protesters.
Pollak said he then saw two Israeli soldiers mount the roof of a nearby home, train a gun in the group's direction and fired, with one of the bullets striking Eygi in the head.
The mayor of Beita and the Palestinian news agency Wafa also reported that she was killed by Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli military said it was looking into reports that troops had killed a foreign national while firing at an "instigator of violent activity" in the area of the protest.
The United Nations said Eygi had been taking part in "peaceful anti-settlement protest" in Beita, the scene of weekly demonstrations. The UN rights office said Israeli forces killed Eygi with a "shot in the head."
Turkey condemned her death, while the United States called it "tragic" and pressed its ally Israel to investigate.
The West Bank has seen a surge of violence since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, with increasing Israeli raids, attacks by Palestinian militants on Israelis, and attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians.
Israeli troops or settlers have killed more than 662 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
At least 23 Israelis, including security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks during the same period, according to Israeli officials.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank, where about 490,000 people live, are illegal under international law.
(With inputs from AP and AFP)
