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 have been met with violence on the St. Joseph hospital complex by Israeli police after they tried to carry Abu Akleh's coffin, which Al Jazeera footage showed being rocked and then falling out of the palms 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 rest next to her mother and father' grave. Church bells echoed by the cemetery.

The burial was going down a day after a memorial procession that brought thousands to the West Financial institution city of Ramallah.

Mourners flocked to the town's streets on Friday and huddled in front of St. Joseph hospital in East Jerusalem, where Abu Akleh's physique remained until the burial. Muslims performed Friday prayers and mourners chanted "walking, walking 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 likely be held, and then to the burial web site. Israeli police had been lined exterior the hospital, based on CNN reporters. Police roadblocks have been arrange around the hospital.

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

Al Jazeera live footage confirmed Israeli police beating mourners with batons as they struggled to carry Abu Akleh's coffin. The body was in turn introduced again contained in the hospital after which transported by automobile, 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 stated that "a whole lot of rioters began to disrupt public order, even earlier than the funeral began," as they labored to safe the procession.

"A whole lot of individuals gathered outside the French hospital (St. Joseph hospital) in Sheikh Jarrah and commenced chanting nationalist incitement," added the assertion.

"In the 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 have been pressured to act."

Thousands have been packed inside and outdoors the church as Abu Akleh's physique arrived. Girls had been heard ululating in mourning and priests sang Christian hymns in Arabic because the coffin, draped in Palestinian flags, was carried by means of the group.

The circumstances of her loss of life remain unclear. The Palestinian Authority on Thursday denied Israel's offer of a joint investigation, insisting on an independent course of and vowing to strive these accused of her killing to the International Criminal Courtroom (ICC).

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Shtayyeh informed Al Jazeera on Thursday that the results of their investigation shall be released soon and will embody the post-mortem report.

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

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

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

"We took off her garments and had to put a white gown on her," Al-Buderi instructed CNN, "I attempted to put 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 acknowledged where Shireen Abu Akleh's funeral service was due to 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.