Death of a Turkish-American Woman in West Bank Settler Protests; U.S. Government Expresses Regret

Following the announcement of the death of a Turkish-American woman during protests by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, U.S. officials expressed regret and called for clarification on the incident. Reuters reported on Friday, September 16, that the victim was identified as "Aisha Noor Ozgi Egi," a 26-year-old Turkish-American activist, who was shot by Israeli soldiers in the town of Beita and later died in a hospital in Nablus. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was visiting the Dominican Republic, extended the "deepest condolences" from the U.S. government to Egi's family and stated that Washington's focus is on "gathering facts" to determine an appropriate response. Speaking at a joint press conference with the Dominican President, he reiterated the "priority of safety and protection for American citizens worldwide," emphasizing, "This is something we are pursuing with utmost seriousness." Sean South, spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, also stated, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an American citizen in the West Bank. We have contacted the Israeli government to obtain more information and complete the investigation into this incident." In response to the incident, the Israel Defense Forces issued a statement saying, "Today, during the activities of Israeli security forces near the Beita area, these forces responded with fire to violent and threatening activities of protesters and received reports of the death of a foreign national due to gunfire, with details of the incident and the circumstances under which she was hit under investigation." This incident occurred while media reported that the Israeli army had exited the city of Jenin and three of its refugee camps after a 10-day operation in the West Bank. Kamal Abulrub, the governor of Jenin, confirmed the withdrawal in a video interview with the Associated Press, calling it the most devastating assault by the Israeli army. However, the Israeli army has not confirmed the withdrawal.