Blinken mourns death of US activist at hands of Israeli forces in West Bank

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September 6 (EUROPA PRESS) –

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday mourned the death of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi at the hands of Israeli forces as she took part in a protest against the expansion of Israeli settlements around the city of Nablus in the southern West Bank.

“First and foremost, I would like to offer my deepest condolences on behalf of the U.S. government to the family of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi. We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss,” he said, adding that the U.S. authorities are trying to gather all the information on what happened.

Blinken has promised that the United States will respond “as necessary” once the government has “more information” on the matter. “When we obtain more information, we will share it and act,” he said when asked during a press conference with the president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, during his visit to the country.

“Any action we take will be driven by the facts. (…) As you have heard me say on many other occasions, I have no higher priority than ensuring the safety and security of American citizens wherever they are,” he said.

Earlier, the director of the Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, Fuad Nafaa, confirmed the identity of the victim and said that he was 26 years old and of Turkish descent. He also explained that he arrived at the hospital after being shot in the head and died shortly after being admitted.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has expressed its condolences to the activist’s family and has directly blamed the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. “Israel is trying to intimidate all those who bring aid to the Palestinians and peacefully fight against genocide,” it said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have acknowledged that they used live fire in the area to “respond” against a person who had begun throwing stones at the soldiers and “posed a threat,” and have announced that they are investigating reports of the death of “a foreign person.”