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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for “fundamental changes” in Israeli military operations in the West Bank following the death of a Turkish-American activist.

Let’s bring you up to speed: Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist, was attending a weekly protest against Israeli settlements in the West Bank when she was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers. The protest, which typically involves prayer and demonstrations, escalated when some attendees reportedly threw rocks, and Israeli security forces fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse the crowd. The Israeli military stated that Eygi was likely hit by a bullet unintentionally. However, Eygi’s family and human rights groups dispute this, claiming she was sheltering in an olive grove when she was deliberately targeted and shot.

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What Secretary Blinken is saying: During a press conference, Secretary Blinken said the killing of Eygi was “unjustified” and “unprovoked.” He added, “No one should have to put their life at risk just for freely expressing their views. In our judgement, Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way that they operate in the West Bank, including changes to their rules of engagement. It’s not acceptable, it has to change. And we’ll be making that clear to the senior most members of the Israeli government.”

Blinken continued, “We have the second American citizen killed at the hands of Israeli security forces. It’s not acceptable. It has to change.”

What Israel is saying: After an initial investigation, the Israeli military saidit is highly likely that [Aysenur Ezgi Eygi] was hit indirectly and unintentionally by [Israeli military] fire which was not aimed at her, but aimed at the key instigator of the riot. The incident took place during a violent riot in which dozens of Palestinian suspects burned tires and hurled rocks toward security forces at the Beita Junction.”

What Eygi’s family is saying: In a statement, Eygi’s family disputed Israeli claims, saying, “She was taking shelter in an olive grove when she was shot in the head and killed by a bullet from an Israeli soldier. This cannot be misconstrued as anything other except a deliberate, targeted and precise attack by the military against an unarmed civilian.”

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