West Bank holds mourning ceremony for Turkish American activist killed by Israel
Political, civic leaders attend ceremony in Beita town commemorating Aysenur Ezgi Eygi
RAMALLAH, Palestine
The West Bank town of Beita in Nablus held a public mourning ceremony Wednesday for Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who was killed by Israel during a protest against settlement expansion.
The event, organized by the Beita municipality and local institutions, drew political figures, including Nablus Gov. Ghassan Daghlas and Fatah’s Deputy Chairman Mahmoud Al-Aloul.
A member of Beita’s municipal council, Abdel Salam Maala, expressed to Anadolu the town’s gratitude for Eygi’s solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Eygi, 26, a recent graduate of Washington University, had traveled to Palestine to show her support, despite warnings.
She was shot in the head by Israeli forces during a protest in Beita and died at Rafidia Hospital in Nablus.
Hundreds of Palestinians in Nablus participated in a funeral procession Monday for Eygi before her body was transferred to Türkiye for a burial.
Eygi’s killing echoes the case of American Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed similarly in 2022, drawing widespread outrage.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio