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

Mourners had marched from Jerusalem's Jaffa Gate to Mount Zion cemetery. They had been met with violence on the St. Joseph hospital complex by Israeli police after they tried to hold Abu Akleh's coffin, which Al Jazeera footage showed being rocked and then falling out of the hands of some 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 all the way down to rest next to her mother and father' 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 Bank metropolis of Ramallah.

Mourners flocked to the town's streets on Friday and huddled in front of St. Joseph hospital in East Jerusalem, the place Abu Akleh's body remained till the burial. Muslims carried out Friday prayers and mourners chanted "strolling, strolling on foot," demanding that Abu Akleh's coffin be carried and transported on foot from the hospital to the Greek Catholic church, the place a service will probably be held, and then to the burial website. Israeli police have been lined exterior the hospital, in accordance with CNN reporters. Police roadblocks were set up around the hospital.

Mourners carried Abu Akleh's coffin out of the hospital, but were met with sturdy resistance from Israeli police who compelled them to transport the body by automobile. A flash bomb and tear gasoline have been fired, in keeping with CNN reporters.

Al Jazeera reside footage showed Israeli police beating mourners with batons as they struggled to hold Abu Akleh's coffin. The physique was in flip brought again contained in the hospital and then transported by car, stated Al Jazeera.

Footage on social media and Al Jazeera showed Abu Akleh's coffin being rocked backwards and forwards and then falling as Israeli police beat pallbearers with batons. It was not instantly clear if the coffin hit the bottom.

Israeli police in a statement mentioned that "lots of of rioters started to disrupt public order, even before the funeral began," as they worked to safe the procession.

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

"In direction of the exit of the casket from the hospital, rioters began throwing stones toward the policemen from the French hospital plaza, and the policemen had been compelled to behave."

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

The circumstances of her dying remain unclear. The Palestinian Authority on Thursday denied Israel's offer of a joint investigation, insisting on an independent process and vowing to attempt these accused of her killing to the International Legal Court docket (ICC).

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Shtayyeh informed Al Jazeera on Thursday that the results of their investigation will probably be released soon and can embody 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 in order that they can be made available for ballistics testing, the official mentioned.

Givara Al-Buderi, a fellow Al Jazeera correspondent and an in depth private friend of Abu Akleh, stated she saw the entry wound of a bullet just above the fitting eyebrow and was advised by the physician that part of the bullet had remained lodged in Abu Akleh's cranium.

Al-Buderi was referred to as by medical doctors to help remove Abu Akleh's clothes and change her for the funeral.

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

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

An earlier version of this story incorrectly acknowledged where Shireen Abu Akleh's funeral service was resulting from 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.