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The US and EU led a global outcry Saturday after Israeli police charged the funeral procession in Jerusalem of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and beat pallbearers who virtually dropped her coffin.
Hundreds of individuals packed Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis on Friday for the burial of the veteran Al Jazeera journalist, two days after she was killed in an Israeli military raid within the occupied West Financial institution.
Tv footage confirmed the pallbearers struggling to cease Abu Akleh’s casket from falling to the bottom as baton-wielding cops charged in direction of them, grabbing Palestinian flags from mourners.
The USA stated it was “deeply troubled” by the scenes, whereas the European Union stated it was “appalled” by the “pointless drive”.
The Jerusalem Crimson Crescent stated 33 folks had been injured, of whom six had been hospitalised. Israeli authorities stated six arrests had been made after mourners had thrown “rocks and glass bottles”.
Israel and the Palestinians traded blame for the demise of Abu Akleh on Wednesday who was shot within the head throughout the Israeli military raid on the Jenin refugee camp.
The Israeli military stated an interim investigation couldn’t decide who fired the deadly bullet, noting stray Palestinian gunfire or Israeli sniper fireplace geared toward militants had been each potential causes.
However the Palestinian prosecutor’s workplace within the West Financial institution metropolis of Ramallah stated later the preliminary outcomes of an investigation confirmed “the one origin of the capturing was the Israeli occupation forces”.
Al Jazeera has stated Israel killed her “intentionally” and “in chilly blood”.
In a uncommon, unanimous assertion, the UN Safety Council condemned the killing and referred to as for “a direct, thorough, clear, and neutral investigation,” in keeping with diplomats.
– ‘Deeply disturbed’ –
Abu Akleh, a Christian and a Palestinian-American, was a star reporter and her funeral drew large crowds.
As her physique left St Joseph’s hospital in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, Israeli police stormed mourners who had hoisted Palestinian flags.
Police stated about “300 rioters” had arrived on the hospital for the procession and “prevented the members of the family from loading the coffin onto the hearse to journey to the cemetery — as had been deliberate and coordinated with the household upfront”.
The police then intervened “to disperse the mob and forestall them from taking the coffin, in order that the funeral might proceed as deliberate.” Glass bottles and different objects had been thrown on the police, it added in an announcement.
The USA was “deeply troubled to see the pictures of Israeli police intruding into her funeral procession right this moment,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated.
“Each household deserves to have the ability to lay their family members to relaxation in a dignified and unimpeded method.”
The EU stated it was “appalled by the violence within the St Joseph Hospital compound and the extent of pointless drive exercised by Israeli police all through the funeral procession.”.
UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres was additionally “deeply disturbed” by the violence, in keeping with a spokesman.
Hundreds of Palestinian mourners tried to comply with the coffin in direction of the cemetery simply exterior the walled Outdated Metropolis.
Police briefly tried to stop them however finally relented, permitting hundreds to stream in direction of the graveside, and didn’t intervene as Palestinian flags had been waved, AFP reporters stated.
– ‘Sister of all Palestinians’ –
In an indication of Abu Akleh’s prominence, she was given what was described as a full state memorial service on Thursday at Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s compound in Ramallah earlier than her physique was transferred to Jerusalem.
The USA, European Union and United Nations have backed requires a full investigation into Abu Akleh’s killing.
Israel has publicly referred to as for a joint probe, which the Palestinian Authority has rejected.
Grief over Abu Akleh’s killing spilt past the Palestinian territories, with protests erupting in Turkey, Sudan and elsewhere.
She “was the sister of all Palestinians,” her brother Antoun Abu Akleh instructed AFP.
– Recent violence –
Recent violence erupted Friday within the West Financial institution, together with a raid and clashes round Jenin refugee camp wherein an Israeli commando was killed.
The Islamic Jihad group stated its fighters had been accountable.
The Israeli officer killed was recognized as Noam Raz, a 47-year-old father of six. Police stated he was wounded “throughout a shootout with armed terrorists,” and later died.
The Palestinian well being ministry stated 13 Palestinians had been wounded within the clashes, one in every of them significantly.
An AFP photographer stated Israeli forces had surrounded the house of a suspect, besieging two males inside and firing anti-tank grenades on the home in an effort to flush them out.
Tensions had been already operating excessive after a wave of anti-Israeli assaults which have killed at the least 18 folks since March 22, together with an Arab-Israeli police officer and two Ukrainians.
A complete of 31 Palestinians and three Israeli Arabs have died throughout the identical interval, in keeping with an AFP tally, amongst them perpetrators of assaults and people killed by Israeli safety forces in West Financial institution operations.
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