WASHINGTON 

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged the Israeli military to reexamine its rules of engagement during a phone call Tuesday with his Israeli counterpart after Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was killed last week by an Israeli sniper in the occupied West Bank, according to the Pentagon.

"Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant today to express his grave concern for the IDF's responsibility for the unprovoked and unjustified death of American citizen Aysenur Eygi while she was attending a protest in the West Bank," the Pentagon said in a statement.

"The Secretary urged Minister Gallant to reexamine the IDF's rules of engagement while operating in the West Bank," the statement added.

According to the Pentagon, Austin also offered his condolences for three Israeli civilians who were killed in a shooting at the Allenby Crossing on the border between the occupied West Bank and Jordan and reiterated the importance of reaching a cease-fire in Gaza and hostage swap deal.

Eygi, 26, a dual Turkish-US national, was killed by Israeli forces during a protest Friday against illegal Israeli settlements in the town of Beita.

The Israeli army said Tuesday that it is “highly likely” that Eygi was “indirectly and unintentionally” hit by fire from its forces.

US President Joe Biden called the shooting of Eygi in the head by an Israeli sniper an "accident," adding that the bullet apparently "ricocheted off the ground, and she got hit.”

Biden has not spoken with the family of Eygi to offer his condolences, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Monday in response to a question.

In a separate statement, Eygi's family expressed outrage over any suggestion that her death at the hands of an Israeli sniper was unintentional, reiterating their calls for an independent investigation into her killing.

"The Israeli military's preliminary inquiry into Aysenur's killing is wholly inadequate; we are deeply offended by the suggestion that her killing by a trained sniper was in any way unintentional," the family said in a statement.

"As we mourn the death of our beloved Aysenur, we reiterate our demand for US government leaders -- President Biden, Vice President (Kamala) Harris and Secretary of State (Antony) Blinken -- to order an independent investigation into the Israeli military's deliberate targeting and killing of a US Citizen," the statement added.