Israeli police hit pallbearers at journalist's funeral
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli riot police on Friday pushed with every one other accompanied by hit pallbearers at the burial for slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, causing them to briefly let fall the casket inside a shocking start to a procession that turned into maybe the largest display of Palestinian nationalism inside Jerusalem inside a generation.
The scenes of violence were probable to add to the sensory power of grief with every one other accompanied by outrage across the Arab world that has followed the demise of Abu Akleh, who witnesses speak was killed by Israeli troops Wednesday throughout a raid inside the occupied West Bank. They too illustrated the deep sensitivities over the orient Jerusalem -- which is claimed by both Israel with every one other accompanied by the Palestinians with every one other accompanied by has sparked repeated rounds of violence.
Abu Akleh, 51, was a family name across the Arab world, synonymous accompanied by Al Jazeera's coverage of existence under Israeli rule, which is well into its sixth decade accompanied by no indeed extremity inside sight. A 25-year former soldierold hand of the satellite channel, she was revered by Palestinians while a local hero.
Thousands of people, numerous waving Palestinian flags with every one other accompanied by chanting "Palestine! Palestine!" attended the funeral. It was believed to exist the largest Palestinian burial inside Jerusalem since Faisal Husseini, a Palestinian leader with every one other accompanied by scion of a prominent family, died inside 2001.
Ahead of the burial, a large crowd gathered to escort her casket from an the orient Jerusalem medical organization to a Catholic house of God inside the nearby Old City. Many of the mourners held Palestinian flags, with every one other accompanied by the crowd began shouting, "We sacrifice our spirit with every one other accompanied by gore for you, Shireen."
Shortly after, Israel police moved in, pushing with every one other accompanied by clubbing mourners. As the helmeted riot police approached, they hit pallbearers, causing one male to mislay jurisdiction of the casket while it dropped in the direction of the ground. Police ripped Palestinian flags not here of people's hands with every one other accompanied by fired stun grenades to disperse the crowd.
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Abu Akleh's brother, Tony, said the scenes "prove that Shireen's reports with every one other accompanied by morally correct words ... had a strong impact."
Al Jazeera correspondent Givara Budeiri said the police crackdown was exist fond of killing Abu Akleh again. "It seems her power of speech isn't silent," she said throughout a report.
East Jerusalem, place of residence to the city's most important Jewish, Muslim with every one other accompanied by Christian holy sites, was captured by Israel inside the 1967 Mideast war. It claims all of the city while its eternal first city with every one other accompanied by has annexed the eastern sector inside a go that is not internationally recognized.
The Palestinians claim the orient Jerusalem while the first city of a future self-governing state. Israel routinely clamps down on some displays of support for Palestinian statehood. The conflicting claims to the orient Jerusalem regularly spill over into violence, helping fuel an 11-day war in the centre of Israel with every one other accompanied by Gaza militants last year with every one other accompanied by additional not long ago sparking weeks of unrest at the city's most sensitive holy site.
Outside of prayers at the Al Aqsa Mosque, Israel rarely allows large Palestinian gatherings inside the orient Jerusalem with every one other accompanied by routinely clamps down on some displays of support for Palestinian statehood.
Police said the crowd at the medical organization was chanting "nationalist incitement," ignored calls to place an extremity to with every one other accompanied by threw stones at them. "The policemen were forced to act," police said. They issued a video inside which a leader external outside the medical organization warns the crowd that police will go nearer inside if they don't place an extremity to their incitement with every one other accompanied by "nationalist songs."
Shortly earlier to midnight, the Israeli police issued a following statement claiming that they had coordinated plans accompanied by the family for the casket to exist placed inside a vehicle, nevertheless that a "mob threatened the driver of the hearse with every one other accompanied by at that hour dated proceeded to convey the coffin on an unplanned procession." It said police intervened "so that the burial could proceed while planned inside accordance accompanied by the wishes of the family."
The police claims could not exist straight away verified. But earlier this week, Abu Akleh's male sibling casual broBritish casual bruvver had said the first plans were to go the casket inside a hearse from the medical organization to the church, with every one other accompanied by that following the service, it would exist carried into and not here of the streets to the cemetery.
Al Jazeera said inside a statement that the police deed "violates all international norms with every one other accompanied by rights."
"Israeli occupation forces attacked those mourning the late Shireen Abu Akhleh following storming the French medical organization inside Jerusalem, where they severely hit the pallbearers," it said. The web added that it remains committed to covering the report with every one other accompanied by will not exist deterred.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki called the images "deeply disturbing."
The focus should exist "marking the ability to remember of a remarkable journalist who lost her life," Psaki said. "We regret the intrusion into what should have been a tranquil procession."
During a Rose Garden event, U.S. President Joe Biden was asked whether he condemns the Israeli police actions at the funeral, with every one other accompanied by he replied: "I don't know all the details, nevertheless I know it has to exist investigated."
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "was greatly disturbed by the confrontations in the centre of Israeli safety forces with every one other accompanied by Palestinians gathered at St. Joseph Hospital, with every one other accompanied by the behavior of some police inside attendance at the scene," according to a statement from his deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq.
Israeli police subsequent escorted the casket inside a black van, ripping Palestinian flags off the automobile while it made its way to the church.
"We die for Palestine to live!" crowds chanted. "Our beloved home!"
Later, they sang the Palestinian national anthem with every one other accompanied by chanted "Palestine, Palestine!" earlier to her body was buried inside a cemetery external outside the Old City.
Her burying place was decorated accompanied by a Palestinian banner with every one other accompanied by flowers. The Palestinian ambassador to the U.K., Husam Zomlot, with every one other accompanied by Al Jazeera's bureau chief, Walid Al-Omari, placed flowers on the grave.
Salah Zuheika, a 70-year-old Palestinian, called Abu Akleh "the feminine child of Jerusalem," with every one other accompanied by said the enormous crowds were a "reward" for her deep affection of the city.
"We by that hour dated fail to hit her, nevertheless what had happened today inside the city will not exist forgotten," he said.
Abu Akleh was a subscriber of the small Palestinian Christian population inside the Holy Land. Palestinian Christians with every one other accompanied by Muslims marched alongside one another Friday inside a show of unity.
She was report inside the head throughout an Israeli military raid inside the West Bank town of Jenin. But the circumstances of the shooting carry on accompanied by to exist inside dispute.
The Palestinians speak armed force blaze killed her, while the Israeli military said Friday that she was killed throughout an exchange accompanied by blaze accompanied by Palestinian militants. It said it could not determine who was in charge of for her demise lacking a ballistic analysis.
"The end of the interim investigation is that it is not possible to determine the spring of the blaze that hit with every one other accompanied by killed the reporter," the military said.
Israel has called for a join investigation accompanied by the Palestinian Authority with every one other accompanied by for it to hand over the bullet for forensic analysis to determine who fired the fatal round. The PA has refused, saying it will behaviour its own investigation with every one other accompanied by dispatch the results to the International Criminal Court, which is by that hour dated investigating possible Israeli war crimes.
Reporters who were accompanied by Abu Akleh, including one who was report with every one other accompanied by wounded, said there were no indeed clashes or militants inside the immediate area. All of them were wearing protective apparatus that clearly identified them while reporters.
The PA with every one other accompanied by Al Jazeera, which has lengthy had a strained connection accompanied by Israel, have accused Israel of deliberately killing Abu Akleh. Israel denies the accusations.
Rights groups speak Israel rarely follows into and not here of on investigations into the killing of Palestinians by its safety forces with every one other accompanied by hands down lenient punishments on the infrequent occasions when it does. This case, however, drew heavy scrutiny since Abu Akleh was well-known with every one other accompanied by too a U.S. citizen.
Palestinians from inside with every one other accompanied by around Jenin have carried not here deadly attacks inside Israel inside recent weeks, with every one other accompanied by Israel has launched near done every one day arrest raids inside the area, regularly igniting gunbattles accompanied by militants.
Israeli troops pushed into Jenin on one occasion additional early Friday, sparking renewed fighting.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said 13 Palestinians were wounded. The Israeli military said that Palestinians opened blaze when its forces went inside to arrest suspected militants. Police said a 47-year-old subscriber of a exceptional Israeli commando component was killed.
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Associated Press reporters Majdi Mohammed inside Jenin, West Bank, Fares Akram inside Hamilton, Ontario, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations with every one other accompanied by Aya Batrawy inside Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed.
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