Father of slain US-Turkish activist welcomes Turkey’s probe into her death

Mehmet Suat Eygi said he was pleased to hear Turkish authorities have opened an investigation into Aysenur Ezgi Eygi’s death, saying he “hope[s] that the American government does the same”.

Speaking to The Associated Press, Mehmet described the Israeli military’s killing of Aysenur at a protest in the occupied West Bank last week as “arbitrary murder”.

He said his daughter has lived in the US for virtually her whole life, with the family having moved there from Turkey when she was 10 months old, as he called on US authorities to investigate.

“She studied in the schools there, she grew up with freedoms there. She is a citizen of that country,” he said. “I hope the American government will show the same sensitivity [as Turkish authorities].”

Earlier, we reported that Turkish authorities will be seeking international arrest warrants for those responsible for Aysenur’s killing.

Autopsy report indicates Aysenur Ezgi Eygi killed by direct Israeli hit

An autopsy report prepared by the Palestinian Authority and obtained by Turkey’s Anadolu news agency indicates American-Turkish activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was killed by a direct hit, casting doubt on Israel’s inquiry into the incident.

Earlier this week, the Israeli army said it was “highly likely” the 26-year-old activist was “hit indirectly and unintentionally by [Israeli military] fire which was not aimed at her, but aimed at the key instigator of the riot”.

US President Joe Biden told reporters that “apparently it was an accident” as the bullet “ricocheted off the ground”.

Anadolu said the autopsy report found the damage on Ezgi’s skull indicated she was directly shot in the left side of her head by a bullet that had travelled in a nearly straight path.

More lies exposed, USA and Israel do nothing but lie.

‘Light in any room’: Friends hail slain US-Turkish activist

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi never saw an injustice that did not move her personally.

That’s how friends remember the American-Turkish activist, who was fatally shot by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank last week. They say she was known for her empathy, joyous presence and drive to support oppressed people, no matter who or where they are.

For many in Eygi’s community in Seattle, Washington, Aysenur – pronounced Aysha-Nour – was a name synonymous with laughter and compassion.

“She was a light in any room,” Kelsie Nabass, a friend of Eygi’s, said.

“She always had the biggest, brightest smile on her face. She was the friend in the room that would make jokes and little side comments and just make sure that the vibe was always fun. She was very warm and very, very inviting.”

_{Aysenur Ezgi Eygi’s friends pledged to keep her memory alive}

Turkey seeks autopsy on Eygi to gather evidence for ICJ trial

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi’s body has arrived in Istanbul, but it was a long journey. It was taken first to Baku, Azerbaijan because due to the relations between Turkey and Israel, there are no flights between the two countries.

Now, Turkish authorities are trying to convince the family to give permission to conduct an autopsy to gather the evidence that could later be used in the ongoing trial against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

The body is likely to be taken to the city of Didim, her hometown, and tomorrow afternoon her funeral will be held. Here in the city, the general mood is a mixture of pride and mourning.

Activists from across the globe as well as Turkish officials are expected to attend the ceremony.

Qatar condemns Israel’s ‘storming’ of Jordan Valley

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign affairs labelled Israel’s announcement it will build a new border wall with Jordan a “dangerous escalation”.

“[It’s] an extension of provocative policies aimed at expanding settlements and a flagrant violation of international legitimacy resolutions,” the statement said.

Three Israelis were killed on Sunday when a Jordanian truck driver opened fire after he entered the West Bank through the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge between the occupied West Bank and Jordan.

Visiting the Jordan Valley on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there are attempts to smuggle “terrorists and weapons” from Jordan into the occupied West Bank and announced a plan to build a stronger border barrier.

Qatar urged Israel to consider the consequences this would have on the “ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip”.

Statement | Qatar Condemns in the Strongest Terms Israeli Occupation Prime Minister's Storming of Palestinian Jordan Valley#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/ax2MOQhKTc

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) September 13, 2024

Kuwait slams Netanyahu’s ‘storming’ of Jordan Valley

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry has said the move is a “serious escalation derived from the provocative approach aimed at expanding the scope of illegal settlement operations” in the occupied West Bank.

The statement comes after Israeli PM Netanyahu, accompanied by military commanders, visited the valley, which is located near the border with Jordan.

Netanyahu said there are attempts to smuggle “terrorists and weapons” from Jordan into the West Bank and announced a plan to build a stronger border barrier.

“We warn of the consequences of continuing these violations and undermining the international efforts aimed at stopping the ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip,” Kuwait’s ministry said in its statement.

It added: “We renew our call for the international community to assume its responsibilities towards obliging the occupation authorities to stop their continuous violations.”

Jordan condemns Al-Aqsa Mosque provocations, storming of compound

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry has condemned “in the strongest terms” the repeated calls by Israeli settler groups to blow up Al-Aqsa Mosque and replace it with a Jewish temple, calling this “abhorrent incitement”.

Ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah said in a statement that such rhetoric coincided with repeated moves by the Israeli army to allow settlers to storm the compound under its protection, which constitutes an attempt to “change the historical and legal status” of the mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site.

Qudah said the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs and Holy Places and the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Administration, rather than the Israeli army, were the entities legally responsible for regulating access to Al-Aqsa Mosque.



Egypt condemns Israeli attack on UNRWA school

Egypt added its voice to the chorus of concern over Israel’s deadly attack on al-Jaouni school, calling the incident a “clear violation of international law,” according to Egyptian news site, Al Ahram Online.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said the crimes and abuses against innocent civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory must be halted immediately.

“This situation starkly highlights the failure of the international community to uphold its principles and values impartially, undermining its credibility and effectiveness. Therefore, it is essential for the UN Security Council to fulfil its responsibilities,” the ministry added.

Israel’s attacks on UN staff escalating in Gaza

Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, is watching events in Gaza very closely, and according to his spokesperson, he is shocked and outraged by this latest Israeli attack on this UNRWA school-turned-shelter – a place where there were 12,000 Palestinians who were receiving food, water, medical attention – when this attack took place.

The UN is also saying that they have no evidence to back up Israeli claims that some of the UNRWA staff members killed were part of Hamas. Also, Israel is saying that they were targeting a Hamas command and control centre, and the UN is saying they have no evidence of that either.

However, they’re willing to investigate.

Now the UN clearly is in a very difficult position in Gaza. Just within the last couple of weeks, a UN convoy that was clearly marked with UN insignia on the side was targeted by the Israeli military. The Israeli soldiers fired several shots at the UN vehicle. Fortunately, nobody was killed.

And just this week, another convoy by the UN was also targeted in Gaza. A staff member was pulled out at gunpoint by an Israeli military official and that UN official was interrogated for several hours before being released.

The number of UNRWA staff that have been killed in Gaza due to Israel’s continued bombardment is now up to 220, making it the deadliest conflict in history for UN humanitarians.

Polio vaccination drive extended for one more day

Gaza’s media office has confirmed that the vaccination campaign has been extended for another day in the north of the Strip in order to ensure that no child will be missing out on this important vaccine against polio.

So far, the campaign has reached at least 530,000 children, according to the UN.

Parents here have been expressing their deep appreciation for the campaign, which has continued despite all sorts of danger unfolding at evacuation centres and in the areas Palestinians are travelling through to in order to vaccinate their children. Some of these areas are active military zones.

Israeli military shells al-Mawasi, killing at least 5: Report

Two children are among the five casualties after an Israeli tank shelled a home in the al-Mawasi area on the coast of southern Gaza, the Palestine Information Center reports. Several people have also been wounded in the attack.

Widespread destruction in Tulkarem after Israel’s deadly raids

Israeli forces withdrew from the city of Tulkarem and its refugee camp on Thursday after a three-day operation in which some 20 homes were blown up or burned to the ground, according to local official.

Israeli forces also dug up roads using bulldozers, destroying water, sewage and power networks across the city and the refugee camp, according to residents.

At least five people, including a girl, were killed in the Israeli raids. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said Israeli forces also prevented medics from reaching wounded people and laid siege to several hospitals.

Israeli settlers poison Palestinian livestock in occupied West Bank

A Palestinian said Israeli settlers poisoned 50 of his sheep in Arab al-Melahat community near Jericho.

According to the local, who said he was recently harrassed by Israeli settlers who tried to steal his livestock, two settlers returned with a bag near his property late last night.

Farhat Mleehat told Al Jazeera that his losses are estimated at between $10,000 and $12,000.

Settlers, especially those who live in so-called agricultural settlement outposts, are notoriously aggressive; stealing sheep and sometimes slaughtering some is not uncommon – poisoning, however, is rare.

A screengrab from a video circulated on social media and by local Palestinian media platforms shows a number of dead sheep. The footage has been verified by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking unit.

Antigovernment protests continue in Tel Aviv

Videos circulating on social media, which we verified, show Israelis blocking Namir Road in Tel Aviv, Israel, to denounce the way PM Netanyahu and his government are handling the war in Gaza, and to express their discontent at the failure so far to reach a deal to secure the release of captives held in Gaza.

Protests have occurred sporadically since the outbreak of Israel’s war on Gaza last October, but have ramped up in recent days after the discovery of the bodies of six captives in Gaza by the Israeli military.

UN chief says US must put more pressure on Israel to end Gaza war

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, UN chief Antonio Guterres has said the US must put more pressure on Israel to end its war in Gaza.

“I know the American political life sufficiently to know that will not happen,” Guterres said.

The UN chief said it was, however, important to keep pressuring the US and make it clear that “the two-state solution must not be undermined”.

The message conveyed by Guterres to the US in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera is that it must intervene, Tamer Qarmout, professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, says.

Guterres is addressing the US as “the only superpower that is enabling Israel to continue its war through funding weapons, arms and providing diplomatic protection”, he said.

The UN chief “says it loud and clear: the US has to intervene”, Qarmout said. “The US administration has been enabling this war to continue for too long.”

Some other main points he made include:

Hezbollah claims attack on Israeli military site

The Lebanese armed group says it fired a barrage of rockets at the al-Marj military site in northern Israel. The group said on Telegram the attack was carried out at 12:35pm (09:35 GMT), claiming that it hit the target directly.

The statement by the group comes shortly after the hostile aircraft sirens sounded in parts of northern Israel, according to local media.

Shortage of basic medicines exceeds 60 percent in Gaza: Ministry

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic have spoken to Mousa Abed, director general of primary healthcare at Gaza’s Health Ministry. He said the enclave’s hospitals lack 83 percent of the medical supplies and 74 percent of life-saving medicines are not available in the war-torn Palestinian territory.

More than 85 percent of specialised medicines for cancer treatment and kidney dialysis are unavailable in Gaza, Abed added.

Israeli army trying to expand operation in central Gaza

The carnage of Palestinians did not stop since the early hours of this morning.

There have been wide concentration bombings around the north of the Gaza Strip, where the military has been destroying residential squares without any warning, the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City in particular.

The army is trying to expand its operation in all areas that are adjacent to the Netzarim Corridor. In the central areas of Gaza, the Nuseirat refugee camp has been the area that has been pounded intensively by the Israeli military.

But the fight is still ongoing in Rafah. We have been hearing from witnesses that Rafah has been mostly obliterated by the Israeli fighter jets and artillery units.

It’s uninhabitable … the army has been hitting all its main central squares and destroying water wells, educational facilities, universities, and all evacuation shelters that Palestinians had been using pre-incursion.

Gaza’s displaced face falling temperatures and possible rainfall

Gaza’s Civil Defence has warned displaced Palestinians of an expected drop in temperatures and potential rainfall next week.

In a statement, the emergency rescue agency called on residents, “especially those displaced in tents and damaged homes”, to protect their shelters. More than 1.9 million people – about nine in every 10 – have been displaced in Gaza at least once since the start of Israel’s war 11 months ago.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering in overcrowded tent camps in Israeli-designated “safe zones”, which represent less than 11 percent of the land in the Gaza Strip, according to the agency. Diseases are spreading rapidly, especially among children and the elderly, in large part due to a lack of clean water.

“We call on the United Nations and its various bodies to urgently intervene and find shelters to protect displaced citizens from the dangers of rainfall,” the Civil Defence said.

_{Displaced Palestinians in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza}


Israel’s army provides some journalists a limited look at Rafah

The Israeli military gave a few chosen journalists a tour of an area in the war-battered city of Rafah in southern Gaza. The reporters on Friday’s escorted tour were unable to visit other parts of the city. Israel has barred international journalists from entering Gaza independently.

Rafah’s district of Tal as-Sultan was a landscape of destruction, months into Israel’s invasion. Giant piles of wreckage that had once been homes of Palestinian residents lined the roads. A few shattered concrete skeletons of apartment buildings still stood.

Once an Israeli-designated “safe” zone, soldiers moved into Rafah in May and forced about 1.4 million Palestinians to flee – including residents of Rafah and hundreds of thousands of people who had taken refuge from other parts of Gaza. They are now dispersed around southern and central Gaza.