US urges Israel to reassess military rules after Turkish-American activist’s death

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday urged Israel to reassess its military rules of engagement following the death of Turkish-American activist Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, who was killed by an Israeli sniper in the occupied West Bank.

According to the Pentagon, Austin conveyed his concerns in a phone call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, emphasizing the Israeli Defense Forces' responsibility for what he described as the "unprovoked and unjustified" death of the American citizen.

"The Secretary urged Minister Gallant to reexamine the IDF's rules of engagement while operating in the West Bank," the Pentagon's statement outlined.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said that Israel's military needs to make "fundamental changes" when asked about the activist killing.

"Her killing was both unprovoked and unjustified," Blinken said of the death of 26-year-old Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi.

"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," he told reporters in London.

The killing of Eygi by Israeli soldiers has shown Israel targets even those "who are in favor of peace," Türkiye's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Hakan Fidan, speaking to Anadolu in Cairo where he attended a session of the Arab League's Council of Foreign Ministers, vowed Türkiye will follow this "murder" from a legal perspective.

He expressed condolences to Eygi's family and emphasized the incident's significance in revealing Israel's approach towards peace advocates.

Eygi, 26, who held dual Turkish and U.S. citizenship, was killed by Israeli forces during a protest against illegal settlements in Beita....