Qatar Condemns Israeli Murder of US Activist in West Bank

Qatar's foreign ministry has condemned the killing of an American-Turkish citizen by Israeli occupation forces during a peaceful protest against illegal settlements near the Palestinian city of Nablus. Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was fatally shot in the head on Friday in the village of Beita in the occupied West Bank.

In a statement, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs labeled the killing as an “assassination” and a “heinous crime,” denouncing it as part of a wider pattern of Israeli occupation crimes against Palestinians and human rights. The ministry warned that the silence of the international community in the face of such violations only emboldens Israel to commit further atrocities.

The ministry emphasized that global voices of solidarity for the Palestinian cause will not be silenced by Israeli violence, and it reiterated support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. It also called for accountability for those responsible for such crimes.

Ezgi Eygi, a member of the International Solidarity Movement, is the third foreign national from the group to be killed by Israel, following the deaths of American activist Rachel Corrie in 2003 and British activist Tom Hurndall in 2004.

Ezgi Eygi’s family released a statement urging the U.S. government, including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, to conduct an independent investigation into her death and to hold those responsible accountable. The family described Aysenur as a loving and caring individual who felt a strong sense of responsibility to help others, living her life in service to those in need.

Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas announced that “all legal measures” would be taken to submit the case to the International Criminal Court (ICC) following her death. He also called on President Biden to cease all support for Israel, citing the country’s ongoing violence, including attacks on hospitals, children, and foreign nationals, including Americans.