By Susan Heavey and Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday referred to as the Israeli navy’s killing of an American activist within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution “unacceptable” and mentioned Israel should do extra to verify it by no means occurs once more.
Israel has taken accountability for the dying of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, who was killed whereas collaborating in a protest in opposition to settlement growth within the West Financial institution. Biden mentioned the U.S. authorities expects continued entry to the felony investigation into the capturing.
“There should be full accountability. And Israel should do extra to make sure that incidents like this by no means occur once more,” Biden mentioned in an announcement.
Harris mentioned in a separate assertion that nobody needs to be killed for collaborating in a peaceable protest.
“The capturing that led to her dying is unacceptable and raises professional questions in regards to the conduct of IDF (Israel Protection Forces) personnel within the West Financial institution,” she mentioned.
Eygi, who can be a Turkish nationwide, was shot useless on Friday at a protest march in Beita, a village close to Nablus the place Palestinians have been repeatedly attacked by far-right Jewish settlers. Israel has mentioned her dying was unintentional.
For the reason that 1967 Center East struggle, Israel has occupied the West Financial institution of the Jordan River, an space Palestinians need because the core of a future impartial state. Israel has constructed a thickening array of settlements there that almost all nations deem unlawful. Israel disputes that assertion, citing historic and biblical ties to the territory.
The Worldwide Court docket of Justice mentioned in July that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there have been unlawful and needs to be ended as quickly as attainable
Eygi’s relations referred to as on Biden and Harris to talk to the household immediately and order an impartial investigation into her capturing.
To name her dying an accident “is complicity within the Israeli navy’s agenda to take Palestinian land and whitewash the killing of an American. … Allow us to be clear, an American citizen was killed by a international navy in a focused assault,” the household mentioned in an announcement.
Democratic U.S. Senator Patty Murray and Consultant Pramila Jayapal wrote a letter to Biden on Wednesday and requested “an instantaneous, clear, credible and thorough” impartial U.S. investigation.
Biden additionally decried the continued violence within the West Financial institution by “extremist Israeli settlers” and “Palestinian terrorists,” at some point after high U.S. officers demanded an overhaul of Israeli navy conduct within the occupied West Financial institution.
