American killed in West Bank, State Department says
An American citizen has died during a protest in the West Bank, Fox News has confirmed.
The State Department says it is aware of “the tragic death” of Aysrnur Egzi Eygi, although did not provide any more details.
The agency did not say how she died. However, Reuters, citing the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, reported that a U.S. citizen taking part in a protest against settlement expansion in the West Bank died of her wounds on Friday after being shot in the head by Israeli troops.
An Israeli soldier is seen during a protest in the town of Beita, in the West Bank on July 26, 2024
The incident occurred during a regular protest march by activists in Beita, a town near the city of Nablus that has seen repeated attacks by settlers, WAFA reports.
Fouad Nafaa, the head of the Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, told Reuters the woman arrived at the hospital in a very critical condition, with a serious head injury.
“We tried to perform a resuscitation operation on her, but unfortunately she died,” he said.
The Israeli military says it is looking into the report.
“Today (Friday), during Israeli security forces activity adjacent to the area of Beita, the forces responded with fire toward a main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks at the forces and posed a threat to them,” the IDF said in a statement.
“The IDF is looking into reports that a foreign national was killed as a result of shots fired in the area. The details of the incident and the circumstances in which she was hit are under review.”
In a statement, the State Department tells Fox News it offers its deepest condolences to her family and loved ones.
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“We are urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death and will have more to say as we learn more. We have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens.”
The rise in violent attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages in the West Bank has caused growing anger among Western allies of Israel, including the United States, which has imposed sanctions on a number of individuals.
Reuters contributed to this report.
