Seattle activist killed in Israeli gunfire buried in Turkey as tensions rise

A Turkish-American activist from Seattle, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, was laid to rest in her hometown of Didim, Turkey, after being killed by Israeli fire during a protest in the West Bank.

Thousands lined the streets on Saturday to pay their respects as anti-Israeli sentiments continue to grow in the region.

Eygi, 26, was shot dead on September 6 by an Israeli soldier during a demonstration against Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Eyewitnesses, including an Israeli protester, confirmed that she was shot while participating in the protest.

Her funeral procession in Didim saw her body carried in a Turkish-flag-draped coffin, with a portrait of her in a graduation gown displayed nearby.

The Turkish government has condemned the killing and announced it will conduct its own investigation, with Numan Kurtulmus, Speaker of Turkey’s Parliament, vowing to hold those responsible accountable.

“We are not going to leave our daughter’s blood on the ground,” he said at the funeral.

An autopsy revealed that Eygi was struck by a bullet that hit the back of her head.

The Israeli military responded, stating that the shooting was likely “indirect and unintentional.”

Eygi’s death has drawn international condemnation, including from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as the United States, Egypt, and Qatar continue efforts to negotiate a cease-fire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which has raged for 11 months.

The situation remains tense, with continued airstrikes in Gaza and calls for peace amid the widespread devastation.

Israeli forces have ordered evacuations from northern Gaza neighborhoods as they continue their military operations.

At the same time, the World Health Organization has completed the first phase of a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza.

This story was written from material provided by the Associated Press.

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