Israel kills an American in West Bank. Now US trusts Israel to probe it

The United States has dismissed calls for an independent investigation into the killing of a Turkish-American dual citizen in the occupied West Bank, despite eyewitness accounts and evidence suggesting she was shot by an Israeli sniper.

Washington says it still does not “know with full certainty what transpired” into the killing of 26-year-old Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, stressing that they were waiting for the findings of an Israeli investigation.

"Our understanding is that our partners in Israel are looking into the circumstances of what happened, and we expect them to make their findings public and expect that whatever those findings are, expect them to be thorough and transparent," US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told a news briefing.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby later said Israel was understood to be "moving swiftly on this investigation" and was expected to present its findings and conclusions in the coming days.

Patel and Kirby did not provide further information on the circumstances of the killing and said Washington would withhold judgment until Israel presented its findings.

The US thus relies on the probe of Israel which is the prime facie perpetrator of the crime.

International Court of Justice has declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land unlawful in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, while also admitting accusations of genocide in Gaza against it.

The US rejection of a transparent independent probe and reliance on the "perpetrator" Israel to probe itself has drawn flak from around the world.

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley took to X and wrote: "Aysenur Ezgi Eygi should be alive today. Instead, she was shot in the head and killed by the IDF while protesting Israel’s illegal occupation of the West Bank. She was an American citizen. There must be accountability and a thorough, independent investigation."

Cindy Corrie and her husband Craig Corrie, the parents of American activist Rachel Corrie, who was crushed to death by Israeli bulldozers in Palestine 20 years ago, have also demanded an independent investigation into the deaths of their daughter Rachel Corrie and of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi.

Another Pro-Palestine and anti-war activist took to Twitter and voiced rage over Israel investigating Aysenur's killing and quoting Rachel Corrie said: "Israel does not do investigations, they do coverups"