Congresswoman Jayapal calls for accountability in the shooting of US-Turkish activist in the West Bank

US congresswoman Pramila Jayapal renewed calls on Washington on Tuesday to conduct an independent investigation into the Israeli forces's killing of US-Turkish activist Ayşenur Eygi in September.  

Jayapal, a US representative from Washington's 7th congressional district, issued a statement expressing concern that 32 days had passed since Eygi’s killing with little apparent progress on a probe. 

The Turkish-American activist was shot by an Israeli sniper in the occupied West Bank last month, after joining a group of peaceful activists protesting Israel's illegal settlement expansions in the West Bank city of Nablus. 

A month after her killing, Jayapal criticised the Biden administration for its inaction on making swifter progress, as she called on the government to ensure accountability by halting specific offensive military aid to Israel. 

She said there was "no additional information on changes in the practices of the [Israeli military] units that are using live ammunition on those who are peacefully protesting".

Jayapal said that she had multiple briefings with State Department officials and remained in close contact with Eygi’s family, emphasising her frustration: "I am frankly appalled with the lack of movement on this case." 

"I have received no information that gives me any assurance that the killing of a US citizen by the [Israeli forces] is being treated with the urgency it deserves," she added. 

Jayapal pointed out that Eygi’s case is part of a disturbing pattern, citing past incidents.

"This is not the first time Israeli forces have killed US citizens," she said, referencing the 2003 death of Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old peace activist from Washington who was also killed in the West Bank. 

She stressed that, despite widespread calls for an inquiry into Corrie’s case, the US government had failed to act. 

Noting that three US citizens had been killed in the West Bank in 2024, Jayapal reiterated that American citizens must be kept safe abroad, and if they are killed, the US government "must act." 

“As the largest provider of military aid to Israel, the US must demand accountability if the Israeli government is unwilling or unable to comply with both our domestic laws and international humanitarian laws. This includes halting certain offensive US military assistance," she said. 

A recent report by the Associated Press detailed that The United States has allocated a historic minimum of $17.9 billion in military aid to Israel since the onset of the conflict in Gaza.  

Calls have intensified over the past year from opposing US politicians- including Jayapal- and activists over the US government’s continued financial support to Israel. 

Critics have argued the United States’ complicity in the ongoing war has enboldened Israel's year-long military conduct, killing nearly 42,000 people in Gaza according to the territory's health ministry. 

Meanwhile, over 2,000 individuals in Lebanon have been killed since Israel significantly escalated its strikes in the country in late September. 

Eygi’s death has reignited demands for stricter action against Israel in the US, with Jayapal concluding her statement that she and other peers "will not rest until we have answers."  

Last month, Jayapal collaborated with US Senator Patty Murray to urge the Biden administration to initiate a US-led investigation into the activist’s death.  

She also joined 102 members of Congress in signing a letter to heighten pressure for an initative.