Blinken: Israeli security must make 'fundamental changes' after Ayensur Ezgi Eygi killing

Sept. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called for Israeli security forces to make "fundamental changes" to their operations in the West Bank after the killing of American-Turkish activist Ayensur Ezgi Eygi.

Blinken, speaking during a press conference in London, said preliminary findings from an investigation released by Israel Defense Forces had shown that eyewitnesses "have said and made clear" that the killing of Eygi, who was shot by Israeli troops while attending a weekly protest against settlement expansion in the West Bank, was "unprovoked and unjustified."

"No one -- no one -- should be shot and killed for attending a protest," he said. "No one should have to put their life at risk just for freely expressing their views."

A statement released by IDF Tuesday said that an inquiry had found it was "highly likely" that Eygi was "hit indirectly and unintentionally by IDF fire which was not aimed at her, but aimed at the key instigator of the riot."

"The incident took place during a violent riot in which dozens of Palestinian suspects burned tires and hurled rocks toward security forces at the Beita Junction," the statement added.

IDF said an investigation was launched by the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division, the findings of which would be submitted for review by the Military Advocate General's Corps when it was complete and that Israel had sent a request to carry out an autopsy.

Blinken said the United States was "looking carefully" at the results of the IDF investigation but added that "even accepting it at face value, it's clear that there are serious issues that need to be dealt with."

"In our judgment, 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," he said.

Blinken referred to reports of security forces "looking the other way" when extremist settlers use violence against Palestinians, contrasting with reports of excessive reports of excessive force used by Israeli security forces against Palestinians.

"And now we have the second American citizen killed at the hands of Israeli security forces," Blinkens aid. "It's not acceptable. It has to change. And we'll be making that clear to the senior-most members of the Israeli Government."

The United Nations and Eygi's family both called for independent investigations into her death over the weekend.