Witnesses counter Israeli accounts on US activist killing: WashPo
8 Min Read
A Washington Post probe found that Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was shot more than 30 minutes after the peak of the violent confrontations, approximately 20 minutes after protesters dispersed to the main road.
-
A photo is seen at a vigil on Alki beach, Seattle, in memory of Eygi, who was recently killed in the occupied West Bank, September 11, 2024. (AP)
Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was shot in the head and killed by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) last Friday in the village of Beita near Nablus.
This was the 26-year-old's first time at a West Bank protest, volunteering with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). Eygi hoped to be a "protective presence" for Palestinians during the IOF's increased military operations in the West Bank.
“We had both decided we did not want to be near any action at all," Helen said, an Australian volunteer in her early 60s who was with the activist throughout the day.
The Israeli army declared on Tuesday that its initial inquiry found that it is "highly likely" the activist was “indirectly and unintentionally” shot by the forces' gunfire during the Beita protest in the West Bank.
The IOF released a statement that its investigation also found that Eygi was not the intended target for the gunfire, but an individual described as "the key instigator of the riot."
The Washington Post conducted interviews with 13 eyewitnesses and Beita residents, reviewing over 50 videos and photos provided by the International Solidarity Movement, and Faz3a, another Palestinian advocacy organization. Some international activists chose to be identified by their first name or remain anonymous for fear of Israeli retaliation, including being barred from entering "Israel."
This was part of the news outlet's investigation into Eygi's murder, essentially reconstructing the day's events.
The probe found that Eygi was shot more than 30 minutes after the peak of the confrontations, approximately 20 minutes after protesters moved to the main road located over 180 meters away from the IOF.
A Palestinian teenager standing near Eygi was wounded by Israeli gunfire. However, the occupation's military did not state if he was a target.
The Post questioned the IOF about why they fired toward protesters after they retreated and were at a distance that did not pose an apparent threat, but they decline to answer.
Joe Carmel of Breaking the Silence, an organization that gathers extensive testimonies from former and present soldiers, stated that troops and junior commanders have been granted broad latitude to open fire, including on individuals suspected of posing a threat based on speculation.
The ongoing Beita demonstrations
15 Palestinians have been killed by the occupation forces since 2021, according to Faz3a, and local resident and Palestinian National Council member Hisham Dweikat.
Last month, the IOF shot a 32-year-old American teacher named Daniel Santiago in the thigh in the same location where Eygi was murdered. The occupation claimed Santiago was “accidentally injured” when soldiers “fired live rounds in the air” to disperse demonstrators.
“It happens every week: tear gas and live ammunition,” said Santiago. “It could have been me, it could have been others too.”
Eygi and four other volunteers drove to Beita to take part and observe the demonstrations against "Israel's" expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.
“The Israeli army started to come to the area on a weekly basis and tried to prevent the Friday prayer several times,” Dweikat said, highlighting that “They suppress us with tear gas and bullets, but the activities continued.”
“‘I’m nervous, because the army’s right there,’” a British activist recounted Eygi saying after they arrived at the Friday prayer site, where soldiers were positioned along the perimeter.
The prayer began at 12:30 pm and ended around 1:05 pm, when the mood shifted, according to eyewitness accounts and videos.
Violent confrontations after Friday prayer, a typical occurrence in Beita
The Post reported it was unclear how the violence erupted. However, based on witnesses, it followed the typical confrontations that occurred between Palestinian protesters and the IOF. Pictures depicted demonstrators throwing stones, including slingshots, while others burnt tires.
The activists stated that the occupation forces used tear gas to disperse them, and then used live gunfire.
“The Israeli soldiers were very provocative,” Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli activist with Faz3a who frequents the Beita demonstrations, stated, highlighting live ammunition is the IOF's “dispersal means of choice.”
Eygi was shocked by the sudden escalation, starting “back down the road, behind the boys, behind the other volunteers,” Helen said.
Palestinians and other activists shared that they shielded themselves behind trees, rocks, and terraces, while others placed obstacles at several points down the road, such as rocks and a dumpster.
Soldiers were at the top of the hill, a photograph taken at 1:21 pm revealed, while videos and photos from the next several minutes showcased them positioning themselves on higher ground, including the rooftop of Beita resident Ali Maali's home.
The 44-year-old told The Post the IOF often used his roof on Fridays since “it’s a strategic location," overlooking the olive groves below.
Maali recounted that on that day the soldiers arrived “immediately after the prayer,” where at least four of them ascended to the roof.
A video filmed at 1:22 pm features an activist off-camera stating in Japanese that “They’re shooting with regular guns!”
Steven Beck, an audio forensic expert who reviewed the footage for The Post and consulted for the FBI, identified the sound in the video as consistent with a gunshot, which was also supported by audio expert Rob Maher.
During this time, Eygi had made it down to the olive groves, according to a call log disclosing a British activist called the American to ask her whereabouts.
Detailed moments of Eygi's murder
Helen said that the next few minutes were “calm,” adding “We had a chance to take a deep breath ... standing in what we thought was a safe distance.”
“They haven’t shot any more live rounds, no more tear gas, yet,” Alex Chabbott, an American volunteer, said in another video taken at 1:29 pm.
Palestinians and volunteers reported that the scene remained relatively calm for nearly 20 minutes around that time.
One of the IOF soldiers on Maali's roof was “training his gun in our direction,” Pollack said. He then recalled a muzzle flash and hearing two gunshots.
Helena, standing next to Eygi, “heard a large crack sound of live ammunition.”
The moment the gunshots were fired was not caught on any of the reviewed footage. According to activists and residents, there was not much happening during that time to film.
“Gunshot!” an unseen woman screamed in the background of a video filmed by Chabbot at 1:48 pm, pleading for an ambulance.
Helena witnessed Eygi fall facedown on the ground next to her while in the olive grove. She rolled her over finding blood was streaming from the left side of Eygi's head. She was not responsive.
“I saw the boy immediately putting his hand on his stomach,” 23-year-old Era Maoz said, referring to a 17-year-old Palestinian who was shot by one of the bullets. “I started screaming to the ambulance.”
Maoz stated that the boy was slightly injured. He then ran to the olive grove when he realized someone had been severely wounded.
A video recorded at 1:49 pm depicts Eygi bleeding and surrounded by paramedics, with someone yelling “Bring a stretcher quickly.”
“Quickly!” they urged as Eygi was lifted into the ambulance.
Eygi was pronounced at around 2:35 pm at Rafidia Hospital, after several attempts at resuscitation, director Fouad Nafaa said.
Eygi's fellow activists who participated with her in the ISM training stated that she feared she "wouldn’t make a difference."
Ultimately, Eygi's death has become a crucial test for US-"Israel" relations, following 11 months of rising tensions between the two allies over the Gaza war and Israeli policies in the West Bank.
“The U.S. government has had full access to Israel’s preliminary investigation, and expects continued access as the investigation continues, so that we can have confidence in the result,” President Joe Biden said Wednesday.
“Let us be clear, an American citizen was killed by a foreign military in a targeted attack,” Eygi's family said in a statement Wednesday.
“The appropriate action is for President Biden and Vice President Harris to speak with the family directly, and order an independent, transparent investigation into the killing of Ayşenur, a volunteer for peace.”
