American woman killed at protest in Israeli-occupied West Bank

Nablus, West Bank — An American woman was shot and killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Friday, the U.S. State Department confirmed. Palestinian doctor Dr. Ward Basalat told The Associated Press that the 26-year-old woman, identified by the State Department as Aysenur Eygi, was shot in the head and died after arriving at the hospital.

Witnesses, activists and Palestinian media said she was shot by Israeli troops while attending a pro-Palestinian demonstration against settlement expansion in the Nablus area of the northern West Bank, near the town of Beita. Israel's military said it was still looking into the incident, but it confirmed that troops had opened fire in the area.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement the U.S. government was aware of her death and confirmed her identity.

"We offer our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones," Miller said. "We are urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death, and will have more to say as we learn more."

"We deplore this tragic loss," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a visit to the Dominican Republic on Friday, adding that when the U.S. government had more information, "we will share it, make it available and, as necessary, we'll act on it."

Asked about the incident, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that troops operating near Beita had "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 it was "looking into reports that a foreign national was killed as a result of shots fired in the area" and that the "details of the incident and the circumstances in which she was hit are under review."

Jonathan Pollak, with the Defend Palestine activist group, told CBS News that IDF forces fired two shots from a distance of 150 or 200 yards during the protest attended by the American woman. He said the first bullet hit a local boy in the thigh and the second hit the U.S. demonstrator, who was standing under an olive tree.

Eygi was a dual U.S.-Turkish national, and Turkey's Foreign Ministry released a statement Friday condemning "this murder committed by the Netanyahu [Israeli] Government."

"Israel is trying to intimidate anyone who comes to the aid of Palestinians and fights peacefully against genocide," the statement said. "This policy of violence will not yield results. Israeli authorities who commit crimes against humanity and those who unconditionally support them will definitely be held accountable before international courts."

Violence has increased dramatically in the West Bank since Hamas, which ruled over the smaller Palestinian Territory, the Gaza Strip, launched its Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel, sparking the ongoing war in Gaza .

The Palestinian news agency Wafa said the woman was an activist who had been taking part in a protest campaign aimed at protecting Palestinian farmers from attacks by Israeli settlers , which have risen sharply since October.

Some 700,000 Israelis lived in settlements scattered across the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, as of late last year, but new, smaller "outposts" have been popping up rapidly. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, but they've been encouraged by the current Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to data compiled by the Palestinian health ministry in the territory, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 661 Palestinians in the West Bank since October.

Israeli officials say at least 23 Israelis, including members of the security forces, have been killed in attacks by Palestinians in the West Bank during the same period.

The United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says more than 2,300 people have been displaced from their homes during 2024 alone due to "the demolition of Palestinian-owned structures" across the West Bank.