Israeli forces attacked mourners carrying the casket of slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in occupied East Jerusalem, Al Jazeera has reported. According to the report, thousands of Palestinians had gathered for Akleh's funeral before her burial at Mount Zion Protestant Cemetery.
At one point, according to footage shot by Al Jazeera, the casket falls to the ground.
"The Israeli army is asking people if they are Christian or Muslim. If you’re Muslim you weren’t allowed in." - @ajimran
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 13, 2022
Israeli occupation forces are attacking Palestinians during the funeral of killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. pic.twitter.com/Xq3VkeOCqn
Several journalists reported on the shocking scenes at the funeral today.
BBC correspondent Emir Nader said the security forces "did not want her procession to leave on foot...and become a walking demonstration".
From what I can tell following the live feed the security forces didn’t want her procession to leave on foot from the French Hospital and become a walking demonstration, with a hearse subsequently coming to take her body
— Emir Nader (@EmirNader) May 13, 2022
Horrible scenes in #Jerusalem as Israeli security forces beat mourners carrying the casket of slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh pic.twitter.com/tcVAmV4pjd
— Dylan Collins (@collinsdyl) May 13, 2022
The Washington Post said the Israeli police "prevented crowds carrying Abu Akleh’s coffin from leaving the hospital compound, beating mourners with batons until the coffin almost dropped to the ground".
CNN said the mourners were "met with violence by Israeli police", who then "beat mourners with batons".
Abu Akleh, who reported for Al Jazeera, was shot dead on May 11 while covering Israeli military raids in Jenin. Her employer reported that she had been shot by Israeli forces. Israel's military said its initial probe into her killing was inconclusive.
An eyewitness, Shatha Hanaysha, a journalist with Qud News Network, told the Guardian it was an "assassination". "Even after she fell to the ground the fire did not stop and none of us were able to reach her," she said. "A guy was finally able to reach us; he helped me and started pulling her."
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