Biden: The deadly shooting of an American citizen in the West Bank is 'unacceptable'

The U.S. Secretary of State expressed sorrow over the killing of an American citizen named Aisha Noor Azgi Egi in the West Bank and called for clarification on the matter. In this context, Joe Biden, the President of the United States, also issued a statement. Palestinian and Turkish officials announced on Friday that Aisha Noor Azgi Egi, who held U.S. and Turkish citizenship, was killed by Israeli soldiers during protests against the expansion of settlements in the West Bank when she was shot in the head. Joe Biden stated in his statement regarding this incident: 'I am deeply angry and saddened by the death of Aisha Noor Egi. Aisha Noor had recently graduated from an American university. She was also an activist whose idealism brought her to the West Bank to peacefully protest against the expansion of settlements. The shooting that led to her death is completely unacceptable.' The statement adds that 'Israel has accepted responsibility for Aisha Noor's death, and an initial investigation has shown that this incident resulted from a tragic mistake and unnecessary escalation of tensions. The U.S. government has had full access to Israel's initial investigations and expects that this access will continue as investigations proceed so that we can have confidence in the results.' Mr. Biden added that 'we will continue our close communication with Israeli and Palestinian officials regarding the circumstances that led to Aisha Noor's death. There must be full accountability, and Israel must do more to ensure that incidents like this never happen again.' Before him, Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, who was traveling in the Dominican Republic, expressed the 'deepest condolences' of the U.S. government to Ms. Egi's family and said that it is necessary to understand what happened. According to Agence France-Presse, Mr. Blinken stated that Washington would provide further information 'and will take action if necessary,' adding: 'I have no higher priority than the safety and protection of American citizens wherever they are.' Sean South, a spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, also expressed deep sorrow over Ms. Azgi Egi's death, saying: 'We have contacted the Israeli government to request more information and called for an investigation into this incident.' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the killing of this citizen and held the Israeli government responsible for her murder. The Israeli army announced that its forces fired at a man who was 'the main instigator' and stated that it is investigating reports about 'the killing of a foreign woman due to gunfire in the area.' A woman 'of American-Turkish nationality' was killed in the West Bank. According to Reuters, Aisha Noor Egi had recently graduated from 'the University of Washington' in Seattle, and the president of this university described the news of her death as 'horrific.' According to the Palestinian Authority news agency, Wafa, this 26-year-old activist was killed during a protest march by activists in Beita, a village near Nablus that 'has witnessed repeated attacks by settlers against Palestinians.' According to Chris Van Hollen, a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ms. Egi is the third American killed in the West Bank since October 7 of last year. This Democratic senator accused the Biden administration of 'not doing enough to pursue justice and accountability on their behalf.' In another report, Reuters and the Associated Press quoted health officials in the West Bank as saying that on Friday, during an attack by Israeli settlers on a village in the West Bank, a 13-year-old girl was killed by gunfire. The Israeli army confirmed the confrontation 'between dozens of settlers and Palestinians in this area' and stated that it is investigating the killing of this 13-year-old girl. Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank have increased in recent weeks, and the United States has imposed sanctions on some Israelis involved in these attacks. The current crisis in the region began on October 7 of last year with an incursion by the extremist group Hamas into southern Israel, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and more than 250 hostages. In response to this incursion, Israel launched military operations throughout the Gaza Strip, which, according to officials under Hamas, has so far resulted in about 41,000 deaths. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union.