Biden Calls for Accountability After American Activist's Death at Israeli West Bank Protest

President Biden expressed his anger and sadness over the death of an American activist, Aysenur Eygi, who was shot by an Israeli soldier during a protest in the West Bank last week. He emphasized the need for "full accountability" from Israel for her death and described the incident as "totally unacceptable." The Israeli military stated that it was highly likely that Ms. Eygi was "unintentionally" struck, to which Mr. Biden responded by expressing confidence in the findings, stating that the United States had "full access" to Israel's initial investigation. He characterized her death as a "tragic error resulting from an unnecessary escalation."

Continued Close Contact and Expectations from Israel

Mr. Biden assured that the United States would continue to remain in close contact with both Israeli and Palestinian authorities to understand the circumstances that led to Aysenur's death. He emphasized the necessity of "full accountability" and urged Israel to take more measures to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.

The Israeli military had claimed that they intended to target a "key instigator" of the protest, which they labeled as "a violent riot." However, this account has been disputed by eyewitnesses who stated that the clashes in the area had ceased by the time Ms. Eygi was shot and that any prior disturbances occurred in a different location. While Mr. Biden did not directly address the conflicting eyewitness accounts, he acknowledged the ongoing violence in the West Bank, attributing it to both "violent extremist Israeli settlers" and "Palestinian terrorists."

Biden reiterated his commitment to supporting policies that hold all extremists accountable for inciting violence and obstructing the path to peace, regardless of whether they are Israeli or Palestinian.