Biden indicates shooting of American national in West Bank was ‘accidental’ as family demands probe
Israel’s military has the fatal shooting in West Bank of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, an American-Turkish protester against settlement expansion, was accidental, Reuters reports.
The military said that its initial inquiry found it was highly likely its troops had fired the shot that killed Eygi but that her death was unintentional, and it voiced deep regret.
US President Joe Biden later told reporters “it ricocheted off the ground” and a US official said that was the conclusion of the Israeli investigation, the results of which were presented to the United States on Tuesday.
Palestinian officials say that Eygi was struck in the head. Eygi’s family called Israel’s preliminary inquiry “wholly inadequate” and demanded an independent US investigation.
Hamid Ali, Eygi’s partner, in response to Biden’s comments, said her death “was no accident and her killers must be held accountable”.