Justice for all those killed by Israel is important, says witness to killing of Turkish-American activist

ANKARA

One of the witnesses to the killing of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the occupied West Bank said it is important to ensure justice not only for Eygi, but for all people killed by Israel.

Australian citizen Helen Maria O’Sullivan testified as a witness in Ankara as part of Israel’s investigation into Eygi’s death.

It is important to ensure justice not only for Eygi, but also for all the people killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank and Gaza, O’Sullivan told Anadolu.

She added that the investigation is a small part of the journey to justice.

In her commitment to Eygi, she stated that she would speak out without hesitation.

The witness said she remained silent for six weeks while in Palestine and gave her statement but asked that her name be kept confidential.

Now that she is outside the West Bank, O’Sullivan is determined not to remain anonymous.

The discussion with the prosecutor was one of the opportunities to openly discuss what happened on September 6, when Eygi was killed by an Israeli sniper, she added.

Volunteer activists took it upon themselves to report what they witnessed in the West Bank and that she testified to the prosecutor about it.

She noted that they protected schoolchildren from attacks by Israeli settlers and stood with Palestinians in olive groves.

Noting that they were there to prevent and report attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, O’Sullivan highlighted their efforts to reflect the truth to the world.

O’Sullivan expressed his intention to ensure that the international community says “Enough is enough” on child deaths.

Eygi, 26, was killed by Israeli forces on September 6 during a peaceful protest against illegal Israeli settlements near Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

She was a human rights activist and volunteer at the International Solidarity Movement, which supports Palestinians using peaceful and civil methods against Israel’s occupation. ​

A preliminary investigation by Israel found that Eygi was “very likely” hit “indirectly and unintentionally” by Israeli fire aimed at a “main instigator of violent activity who threw stones” during the protest.

Video evidence and witness accounts, however, contradicted Israel’s version of events, with many saying she was hit directly by an Israeli sniper.

*Written by Muhammed Enes Calli in Istanbul

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