London - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said that he will press Israel to make “fundamental changes” after the military acknowledged its fire likely killed a US citizen activist in the occupied West Bank.
After an initially measured response to Friday’s death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi pending a fact-finding exercise, Blinken said that the United States would raise her death at senior levels with its key ally.
The investigation, and eyewitness accounts, make clear “that her killing was both unprovoked and unjustified”, Blinken told reporters on a visit to London.
“No one should be shot and killed for attending a protest. No one should have to put their life at risk just for freely expressing their views,” he said.
“In our judgement, Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way that they operate in the West Bank, including changes to their rules of engagement.
“We have the second American citizen killed at the hands of Israeli security forces. It’s not acceptable. It has to change.”
Blinken renewed concern about the lack of repercussions for Israeli settlers who have attacked Palestinians in the West Bank as war rages in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
Eygi, who was 26 and also held Turkish citizenship, was killed as she attended the site of weekly demonstrations against Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law but supported by right-wing members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.