An American woman, Ayşenur İzgi İgi, aged 26, was fatally shot by Israeli forces in the West Bank near the town of Beita, close to Nablus. İgi, born in Antalya, Turkey, and holding dual Turkish-American citizenship, was reportedly involved in protests against Jewish settlement expansion in the area.
Local Palestinian media claim that Israeli forces targeted İgi during a confrontation. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have stated that their response came after being attacked with stones and threats by demonstrators in Beita. The IDF is currently reviewing reports of the incident, including the circumstances that led to the foreign national’s death, stating that it is examining details around the area where gunfire was exchanged.
İzgi was transported to a hospital in Nablus with a gunshot wound to the head and was later pronounced dead. Dr. Fuad Nafa, the hospital director, confirmed the death of the woman in her late twenties, describing the injury as severe.
The incident occurred around 2:30 PM local time, prompting urgent inquiries from the United States. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed deep condolences to İgi’s family and described her death as tragic, stating, “We are urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death and will share more details as we obtain them.”
Turkey has also condemned the killing of İzgi, declaring it a reprehensible act of violence against a Turkish-American citizen. The international community, including the U.S. and Turkey, is closely monitoring the situation and awaiting further details from ongoing investigations into the incident.