Luke London/Jerusalem, Sept 10 — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called for changes to Israel’s military behaviour in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday in response to US opposition to settlements. The shooting of a protester drew condemnation of the attack , which Israel described as accidental.
Esenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, himself a Turkish citizen, was shot dead last Friday during a protest march in Beitar. The village of Beita, near Nablus, has been repeatedly attacked by far-right Jewish settlers against Palestinians.
The Israeli military said on Tuesday that an initial investigation showed he was likely shot by Israeli soldiers, but that his death was unintentional and it was deeply regretted.
President Joe Biden later told reporters that “it has already begun,” and a US official said that was the conclusion of the Israeli investigation, the results of which were presented to the United States on Tuesday.
Palestinian officials said Iggy had been hit in the head.
Ayaki’s family described Israel’s initial investigation as “grossly inadequate” and demanded an independent US inquiry.
Iggy’s co-star Hamid Ali echoed Biden’s comments, saying his death “was not an accident and his killers must be held accountable.”
“The White House is not talking to us. For four days we’ve been waiting for President Biden to pick up the phone and do the right thing,” Ali said.
In their strongest comments to date, Blinken and Austin criticised the security forces of Washington’s closest Middle East ally, and described Iggy’s killing as “unprovoked and unjustified.” Separately, they said Washington would press the Israeli government to change the way its military operates in the West Bank.
“No one should be shot for participating in a protest. No one should have to risk their life for freely expressing their views,” Blinken told reporters in London.
“We believe the Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes to the way they operate in the West Bank, including changes to their operational procedures.
“Now another American citizen has died at the hands of Israeli security forces. This is unacceptable,” Blinken said.
An Israeli government spokesman declined to comment on Blinken’s remarks.
The Pentagon reported late Tuesday that Austin spoke to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galante and said he had “serious concerns about the IDF’s responsibility for the unprovoked death of IGI.” According to the Pentagon, he also urged Galante to “re-examine the rules governing IDF operations in the West Bank.”
The Israeli military has previously said that an investigation by the Military Police Criminal Investigation Department is ongoing and that the results of the investigation will be submitted for a high-level review once completed.
“We’ll be watching this closely,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters, calling the Israeli military’s criminal investigation an unusual move.
“We look forward to seeing what happens next in the criminal investigation, what is discovered, and whether and how anyone is held accountable,” Kirby said.
Preliminary investigation
The Israeli military said in a statement that its commander had conducted a preliminary investigation into the incident and found that the target of the firing was not him but another man, who was described as “the main instigator of the riot.”
“The incident occurred during a violent disturbance in which dozens of Palestinian suspects burned tyres and threw stones at security forces at the Beita intersection,” the statement said.
Israel has asked Palestinian authorities to perform an autopsy.
Iggy’s family said in a statement, “We are deeply saddened that his death by a trained sniper was in no way accidental.”
A rise in violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank has angered Israel’s Western allies, including the United States, which has imposed sanctions on some Israelis involved in the militant settler movement. Tensions have escalated in Gaza amid Israel’s war with Hamas militants.
Palestinians have staged weekly protests in Beitar since 2020 over the expansion of the nearby settler outpost Eyatar. Ultranationalist members of Israel’s ruling coalition are working to legalize previously unauthorized outposts such as Evita, a move Washington says threatens stability in the West Bank and undermines efforts by both countries to resolve the conflict.
Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank, with Palestinians hoping the region will become an independent state in the future.
Israel has built several settlements there, which most countries consider illegal. Israel rejects this claim, citing historical and biblical ties to the region.
