World
Biden Outraged Over American Activist’s Death in West Bank
President Biden expresses deep outrage over the tragic death of an American activist in the West Bank, calling for accountability and highlighting the urgent need for peace in the region amid escalating tensions.
Biden Expresses Outrage Over Death of American Activist in West Bank
President Biden expressed his profound outrage and deep sorrow on Wednesday regarding the tragic killing of American activist Aysenur Eygi by an Israeli soldier during a protest in the West Bank last week. He emphasized that there must be a commitment to “full accountability” from Israel in the wake of her death.
In his first detailed remarks addressing the incident, Mr. Biden described the shooting as “totally unacceptable.” The Israeli military, in a statement released on Tuesday, indicated it was highly probable that Ms. Eygi was “unintentionally” struck during the protest. Mr. Biden conveyed his confidence in the preliminary findings of the investigation, noting that the United States has had “full access” to Israel’s initial inquiry. He characterized the incident as likely the result of “a tragic error stemming from an unnecessary escalation.”
“We will continue to maintain close communication with both Israeli and Palestinian authorities regarding the circumstances surrounding Aysenur’s death,” he stated. “There must be full accountability. Additionally, Israel must take further steps to ensure that incidents like this do not recur in the future.”
The Israeli military has reported that its forces intended to target an individual it labeled as a “key instigator” of what they described as a “violent riot.” However, eyewitnesses have strongly contested this narrative, asserting that the confrontations in the area had ceased by the time Ms. Eygi was shot and occurred in a separate location entirely.
While Mr. Biden did not address these conflicting accounts directly in his statement, he acknowledged that “violence in the West Bank has persisted for far too long,” attributing the ongoing strife to both “violent extremist Israeli settlers” and “Palestinian terrorists.” He concluded with a commitment to uphold policies that hold all extremists—whether Israeli or Palestinian—responsible for inciting violence and serving as barriers to peace.