‘Tragic loss’: condolences pour in over killing of Ayşenur Eygi by Israeli troops

The White House said it is "deeply disturbed" by the death of an American woman who was shot in the head by Israeli troops during a protest against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and called for Israel to investigate her killing, which has caused strong reactions across the international community.

The US state department confirmed the death of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, a volunteer peace activist with the anti-occupation International Solidarity Movement (ISM).

Eygi - a US-Turkey dual national - died on Friday after being fatally shot during a regular protest against settlement expansion in Beita near Nablus, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

The ISM, which organises foreign volunteers in the Palestinian territories, said Israeli forces "intentionally shot and killed" an international human rights activist during the weekly protest on Friday morning. It did not name the volunteer.

"The demonstration, which primarily involved men and children praying, was met with violence from the Israeli army stationed on a hill. The volunteer died shortly after being transported to a local hospital in Nablus," the ISM said in a statement.

The individual's family had requested privacy as they mourn their loss, it said. "Their wish to grieve in peace should be respected by all, as they navigate this tragic and difficult situation."

The US has not said whether Eygi had been shot by Israeli troops. "We are urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death, and will have more to say as we learn more," Matthew Miller, a state department spokesperson, said.