Biden calls for ‘full accountability’ after death of US citizen in West Bank

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden said on Wednesday Israel must do more to ensure incidents like the fatal shooting of an American protester against settlement expansion never happen again, calling her death “completely unacceptable.”

Biden said in a statement that while Israel has accepted responsibility for her death, the U.S. government continues to expect access while investigations into the circumstances of the shooting continue.

“There must be comprehensive accountability. And Israel must do more to ensure that incidents like this never happen again,” Biden said.

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, also a Turkish citizen, was shot dead last Friday during a protest march in Beita, a village near Nablus where Palestinians have been repeatedly attacked by far-right Jewish settlers. Israel said her death was an accident.

Biden also condemned violence in the West Bank by “extremist Israeli settlers” and “Palestinian terrorists,” a day after senior U.S. officials called for an overhaul of Israeli military conduct in the occupied West Bank.

“I will continue to support policies that hold all extremists – Israelis and Palestinians alike – accountable for fomenting violence and creating obstacles to peace,” Biden said.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Timothy Heritage)