Family of American woman killed in Israeli-occupied West Bank says US response ‘even more heartbreaking’

More than two months after American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eigi was murdered. The family of the girl who was allegedly killed by a member of Israeli security forces in the Israeli-occupied West Bank told CBS News that their trust in the United States was shattered by the lack of an independent criminal investigation. .

Eigi’s husband, Hamid Ali, said he was appalled by the Biden administration’s response.

“I hope that the U.S. government will enforce its own laws in this matter and at least withhold funding from its own taxpayers that was paid to this unit and these soldiers who killed one of their own citizens,” he said. . CBS News.

Neither the Biden administration nor U.S. law enforcement agencies have announced any investigations into Eigy’s murder. The State Department told CBS News it continues to ask for a “full and transparent” review of the results of the Israeli investigation.

Eigi’s sister, Ozden Bennett, said the Biden administration’s response has made the grieving process “even more heartbreaking and painful.”

“No family should have to go through something like this,” she told CBS News with tears in her eyes.

Bennett said she grew up in the United States and had an idealistic vision of the country and its values, but her sister’s death “shattered” those ideas.

“I feel like they don’t care about all Americans the same way,” she said. “The failure of the U.S. government, especially the Biden administration, to launch an investigation begs the question of why we are not being treated equally.”

Witnesses, her family, and the group Eigi was participating in the protest. said The dual American-Turkish citizen was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper as she stood under a tree in the West Bank city of Nablus.

She was shot shortly after participating in a protest organized by the International Solidarity Movement, and the Israel Defense Forces said some demonstrators threw projectiles at troops. Witnesses said she was shot dead after the protest, away from where the protest was taking place.

The Israel Defense Forces said an initial investigation found that she was “likely indirectly and unintentionally hit” by a member of the Israeli security forces. The IDF told CBS News on Thursday that it could not provide further details about the ongoing investigation.

A State Department spokesperson told CBS News last week that the United States continues to press Israel for a “full, transparent and expedited investigation.”

“We look forward to knowing the findings of the investigation as soon as possible, including any appropriate accountability measures that will be taken,” the spokesperson added.

In response to a question about whether the U.S. government intended to launch its own criminal investigation into Aigi’s murder, the White House told CBS News that Israel had “admitted responsibility for Isenur’s death” and that the United States had “acknowledged responsibility for Aysenur’s death.” President Biden’s statement from September was taken back. “We have been granted full access to the Israeli preliminary investigation and expect continued access as the investigation continues, giving us confidence in the results.”

But Eygi’s father, Mehmet Suat Eygi, said it seems like the U.S. government has become accustomed to downplaying the killings of Americans by Israeli forces. He said his daughter’s death reminded him of the deaths of other Americans, especially in the Palestinian territories. rachel cory and Shireen Abu Akre.

“We are beyond disappointed,” the bereaved father told CBS News. “The US government’s response is simply to say that Israel can kill anyone and there will be no consequences.”

He moved to the Seattle area in 1999 when his daughter was 10 months old and became a naturalized citizen in 2005. Aysenul Eygi grew up in the Pacific Northwest and graduated from the University of Washington in the spring of 2024. After a gap year, I entered a doctoral program.

“The safety of Americans should not be tied to ideological support for Israel,” Eigi’s father told CBS News.

Sama Park Imtiaz was a close friend of Eigi. Sobbing quietly, she recalled to CBS News the last phone call in which Eiji told her he missed his cat.

“It’s still like a dream when I think about what happened,” Imtiaz said. “(Biden) said anyone who hurt Americans will face consequences. We are Americans and we deserve answers.”

In September, 103 members of Congress signed a letter to Mr. Biden urging the administration to launch an independent investigation into Mr. Eigi’s murder.

“Leaving without further questions gives the Israeli military an unacceptable license to act with impunity,” the lawmakers said.

Brad Parker, a member of the legal team supporting Eygi’s family, called the Biden administration’s response so far “overwhelming” and said there were no “strong signs of pursuing justice for Aysenour.” “I’m concerned,” he said.

“I think the current policy can be characterized as giving Israeli forces impunity, even for the killing of American citizens,” he told CBS News. “The focus has been on getting the Israeli military to adjust its rules of engagement, rather than on justice or accountability for the specific killings of American citizens.”

Eigi’s husband, Ali, said the close alliance between Israel and the United States should not be left unaffected.

“Israel has a history of not actively conducting any investigations, and even when they do, the findings are largely inadequate,” he said.

The sister-in-law said the Biden administration has yet to address the family’s pain “other than condolences.”

“If the U.S. government does not respond to cases like hers, which historically has not been the case, Israel has license to continue acting with impunity and murdering other citizens,” Bennett said. insisted.

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