J Street is deeply alarmed and saddened by reports that an American human rights advocate – Aysenur Ezgi Eygi – has been shot dead in the occupied West Bank amid IDF fire. According to reports, the 26-year-old was involved in a campaign to protect Palestinian farmers from violent attacks and intimidation from extremist Israeli settlers. Our hearts go out to her family at this incredibly painful time.
With circumstances unclear and the incident under review by the IDF, J Street urges the Biden Administration to ensure there is an independent US-led investigation of this tragedy and that responsible parties are held fully accountable. This incident resurfaces painful memories of other cases in which American citizens – including Shireen Abu Akleh and Omar Assad – were killed in the West Bank, leaving grieving families fighting for answers and accountability.
The tragic news today is compounded by reports that a 13-year-old Palestinian girl was killed by Israeli forces today as extremist settlers stormed a West Bank village. Earlier this week, a 16-year-old girl was reportedly killed by an Israeli sniper as she looked outside a window during a military operation nearby.
These incidents underscore serious concerns raised by Israeli human rights groups and international bodies over the high number of Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli forces in recent months in the West Bank, including over 140 children. J Street shares these concerns and reiterates our call for the Biden Administration to ensure all US military assistance is used in compliance with US and international law.