Israeli soldier ‘shouted for joy’ after shooting Turkish-American activist: Palestinian eyewitness

WEST BANK, Palestine (AA) – Palestinian eyewitness Mounir Khdair said that the Israeli sniper who killed Turkish-American citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the West Bank shouted with joy after shooting her.

Khdair said, “After shooting her, he was happy, he shouted for joy.”

Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli activist who has been taking part in protests against Israel in the region for many years, said that on the day of the shooting in the village of Beita, near Nablus, soldiers quickly dispersed protesters after Friday prayers in the village with tear gas and live bullets.

He added: “The soldier who did this took a kill shot. That kill shot was no isolated incident. It happens in the context of the escalation and violence in the West Bank. The bullet that killed Aysenur is the same bullet that killed people in Nur Shams and Jenin.

“It’s the same bullet that killed a 13-year-old girl the same day just a few kilometers south of here. These are the same American-funded bullets that Israel uses to perpetrate genocide in Gaza with complete impunity.

“This happens because the world doesn’t demand accountability and the world, shamefully, supports Israel. It’s time that if anything, this murder will bring about some accountability and an end to Israeli colonialism over the Palestinian people.”

On the Israeli army claim that the soldiers opened fire since they felt threatened by people throwing stones, Pollak underlined that things were very calm when the shots were fired.

Eygi, 26, a dual Turkish-US citizen, was shot dead by Israeli forces during a Friday protest against illegal Israeli settlements in the town of Beita in the occupied West Bank.

Eygi’s killing echoes the case of American-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed in a similar way in 2022, drawing widespread outrage.

The violence against West Bank protests takes place amid Israel’s continued devastating military offensive in the Gaza Strip since October 7.

Nearly 41,000 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, leaving vast tracts of Gaza in ruins and most of the population homeless and in desperate need of aid.