US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called on Israeli security forces to make “fundamental changes” to the way they operate in the occupied West Bank, the strongest comments yet from a US official after the Israeli military admitted it was “highly likely” it “unintentionally” shot a Turkish-American at a demonstration last Friday.

The Israeli military said in a statement that an initial investigation by military police found that Aisha Nour Igi, 26, who had arrived in the West Bank a few days earlier as a volunteer, was hit by gunfire “that was not directed at her, but rather at the main instigator of the riot.” It said the shooting occurred during “violent riots” in which Palestinians threw stones at Israeli security forces.

Blinken said the shooting was "unacceptable."

“No one should be shot and killed simply for participating in a protest. No one should risk their life simply for expressing their views. Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way they operate in the West Bank, including changes to the rules of engagement,” he said.

Blinken’s comments — delivered in a forceful tone alongside his British counterpart in London — were some of the Biden administration’s strongest condemnations of Israeli behavior since the start of the war between Israel and Gaza last October. But they were not accompanied by any plan to change U.S. arms support to Israel.

The Israeli occupation army said on Tuesday that the killing of the young woman, Aisha Nour Azgi Egi, who holds American and Turkish citizenship, at the hands of an occupation soldier during a protest in the West Bank last Friday, was not intentional, "following an investigation into the incident," according to the army's claim.

The army said Israel had sent a request to conduct an autopsy on the body of Aisha Nur Ezgi Egi.

The young American woman was killed on Friday in the West Bank during an anti-settlement demonstration. In a statement, her family called on the US authorities to conduct an independent investigation into her death, considering that "any Israeli investigation will not be sufficient."

The Israeli army had previously issued a statement regarding the incident, saying that "during security forces activity near the village of Beita today, the force responded by opening fire towards a main instigator who threw stones at the forces and posed a threat to them."

Meanwhile, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Palestinian territories said that Israeli forces "shot and killed a Turkish-American activist during a protest against settlements in the West Bank."

The White House commented on the incident, expressing "deep concern," adding that it had contacted Israel "to ask for more information about the incident, and to request an investigation."

Clashes have escalated in the West Bank since the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip began about a year ago.

Israel says its operations in the West Bank are aimed at "pursuing those wanted for terrorist crimes."