A woman of dual American and Turkish citizenship citizen participating in a protest against settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank died of her wounds today after being shot in the head by Israeli soldiers, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported, as cited by Reuters and BTA.< /p>
The US State Department and the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs have confirmed the death of Aysenur Ezgi Egi. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said she was killed by Israeli soldiers and described the incident as "an assassination carried out by (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's government.
The Israeli army said it was investigating "reports that a foreign national had been killed as a result of gunfire in the area." The details of the incident and the circumstances under which she was hit are being clarified.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: “We are aware of the tragic death of an American citizen, Eichenour Agee, today on the West Bank. Our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones.
Miller added that more information is urgently being gathered about the circumstances surrounding the woman's death.
"We'll have more to say when we learn more. "We have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens," he added.
Fouad Nafaa, Director of Rafidiya Hospital in Nablus, told Reuters the woman arrived at the hospital in a very critical condition with a serious head injury.
"We tried to do resuscitation on her, but unfortunately she died," he said.
UAFA informed that the incident happened during a regular protest by activists in Beita, a town near the city of Nablus, which has been repeatedly attacked by nationalist Jewish settlers.
"Israel is trying to intimidate all those who come to the aid of the Palestinian people and who fight peacefully against the genocide. This policy of violence will not work," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Frequent attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian settlements in the West Bank have sparked growing anger among Israel's Western allies, including the United States, which has imposed sanctions on a number of individuals.
A few weeks ago, about 100 settlers attacked the village of Jit in the northern part of the West Bank. The attack was condemned by many countries, and the Israeli government promised swift action against anyone found guilty of violence.
Palestinians and human rights organizations regularly accuse Israeli forces of standing by while attacks are carried out, and even joining them.