https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/09/10/israel-idf-operations-blinken-response-american-death/LONDON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called on Israeli security forces to make “fundamental changes” in the way they operate in the occupied West Bank, the strongest comments yet from a U.S. official after the Israeli military admitted that it was “highly likely” it had “unintentionally” shot dead an American Turkish citizen at a demonstration last week.
An initial inquiry by military police found that Aysenur Eygi, 26, who had arrived in the West Bank a few days earlier as a volunteer, was hit by fire “which was not aimed at her, but aimed at the key instigator of the riot,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. It said the shooting took place during a “violent riot” where Palestinians had thrown rocks at Israeli security forces.
Blinken said that the shooting was “not acceptable.”
“No one, no one should be shot and killed for attending a protest,” he said. “No one should have to put their life at risk just to purely express their views. The Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way they operate in the West Bank, including changes in their rules of engagement.”
“It has to change, and we’ll be making that clear to the senior-most members of the Israeli government,” he added.
Blinken’s comments — delivered in a firm tone alongside his British counterpart in London — was one of the strongest condemnations by the Biden administration of Israeli conduct since the Israel-Gaza war began in October. But it was not accompanied by any plan to alter U.S. weapons support for Israel.
