Hundreds mourn for Turkish-US activist slain by Israel in West Bank
Palestinian security forces carry the body of slain Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, covered with a chequered keffiyeh and the Palestinian flag, during a memorial service starting from the Rafidia hospital in Nablus where she was pronounced dead two days earlier, in the occupied West Bank on Sept. 9, 2024. (AFP Photo)


Hundreds of mourners gathered in the West Bank city of Nablus on Monday to pay respects and bid farewell to Turkish-American activist Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, who was killed by Israeli forces on Friday.

The funeral procession began from Rafidia Government Hospital in Nablus, with mourners walking through several streets, chanting slogans condemning Israeli actions and praising foreign supporters, according to an Anadolu Agency (AA) reporter.

Mourners performed the funeral prayer, led by Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas, with the participation of leaders from various Palestinian factions and a large public turnout.

The body carried on shoulders, was wrapped in the Palestinian flag, with the head covered by the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh.

Eygi's body is expected to be transported to Türkiye.

Eygi, 26, a dual citizen of Türkiye and the U.S., was shot dead by Israeli forces during a Friday protest against illegal Israeli settlements in the town of Beita in the occupied West Bank.

Early Monday, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli announced that his country is working to facilitate the handover of Eygi's body.

"We continue the necessary work to deliver the body of our citizen Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, who was killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, to her family for burial," Keçeli wrote on X.

The Israeli military has yet to comment on the specifics of the incident or the findings of the autopsy.

Eygi's killing echoes the case of American-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed similarly in 2022.