Coffin carrying veteran journalist’s body shown falling as Israeli police beat mourners with batons

Mourners had marched from Jerusalem's Jaffa Gate to Mount Zion cemetery. They have been met with violence at the St. Joseph hospital complex by Israeli police when they tried to hold Abu Akleh's coffin, which Al Jazeera footage showed being rocked after which falling out of the fingers of a few of the pallbearers, as Israeli police beat them with batons.

Crowds walked behind as Abu Akleh's rose-covered coffin was carried by pallbearers and lain right down to relaxation next to her dad and mom' grave. Church bells echoed by way of the cemetery.

The burial was taking place a day after a memorial procession that introduced thousands to the West Financial institution city of Ramallah.

Mourners flocked to the city's streets on Friday and huddled in entrance of St. Joseph hospital in East Jerusalem, the place Abu Akleh's physique remained till the burial. Muslims carried out Friday prayers and mourners chanted "walking, strolling on foot," demanding that Abu Akleh's coffin be carried and transported on foot from the hospital to the Greek Catholic church, where a service will likely be held, and then to the burial site. Israeli police have been lined outside the hospital, in accordance with CNN reporters. Police roadblocks were arrange across the hospital.

Mourners carried Abu Akleh's coffin out of the hospital, however had been met with strong resistance from Israeli police who compelled them to transport the physique by car. A flash bomb and tear gasoline were fired, in line with CNN reporters.

Al Jazeera live footage showed Israeli police beating mourners with batons as they struggled to carry Abu Akleh's coffin. The body was in flip introduced back contained in the hospital and then transported by automobile, said Al Jazeera.

Footage on social media and Al Jazeera confirmed Abu Akleh's coffin being rocked back and forth after which falling as Israeli police beat pallbearers with batons. It was not instantly clear if the coffin hit the bottom.

Israeli police in a press release stated that "hundreds of rioters started to disrupt public order, even earlier than the funeral started," as they worked to secure the procession.

"Lots of of people gathered exterior the French hospital (St. Joseph hospital) in Sheikh Jarrah and started chanting nationalist incitement," added the statement.

"Towards the exit of the casket from the hospital, rioters started throwing stones toward the policemen from the French hospital plaza, and the policemen had been forced to behave."

1000's have been packed inside and outdoors the church as Abu Akleh's physique arrived. Girls were heard ululating in mourning and monks sang Christian hymns in Arabic because the coffin, draped in Palestinian flags, was carried via the gang.

The circumstances of her loss of life remain unclear. The Palestinian Authority on Thursday denied Israel's provide of a joint investigation, insisting on an independent process and vowing to strive these accused of her killing to the Worldwide Felony Court docket (ICC).

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Shtayyeh told Al Jazeera on Thursday that the outcomes of their investigation shall be launched quickly and can embrace the post-mortem report.

Israeli navy investigators confiscated the guns of some IDF troops as part of their inquiry, reported the Washington Post on Thursday, citing an unnamed IDF official. The weapons have been taken so that they can be made obtainable for ballistics testing, the official said.

Givara Al-Buderi, a fellow Al Jazeera correspondent and a detailed personal good friend of Abu Akleh, stated she noticed the entry wound of a bullet just above the correct eyebrow and was instructed by the doctor that part of the bullet had remained lodged in Abu Akleh's skull.

Al-Buderi was called by docs to help remove Abu Akleh's clothing and alter her for the funeral.

"We took off her clothes and needed to put a white costume on her," Al-Buderi told CNN, "I tried to place my hand behind her head, but there was nothing there."

"I felt round however there was nothing, nothing left."

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the place Shireen Abu Akleh's funeral service was as a result of be held. It was being held at a Greek Catholic Church.

CNN's Nadeen Ebrahim, Mostafa Salem and Celine Alkhaldi in Abu Dhabi contributed reporting.