Funeral of Al Jazeera Reporter Shot Dead in Xi'an District... Chaos Ensues Amid Israeli Police Crackdown

Physical suppression by Israeli police is occurring during the transport of the body of Shireen Abu Akleh, an Al Jazeera journalist who was shot and killed.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Thousands gathered to mourn at the funeral of the Al Jazeera journalist who was shot and killed while covering the Israel-Palestine conflict. However, criticism is mounting as Israeli police used violence to suppress the crowd during the body procession.

According to local media on the 13th (local time), the funeral of the late Shireen Abu Akleh, an Al Jazeera journalist, was held in Jerusalem. She was shot and killed in the early hours of the 11th while covering an Israeli military operation in the West Bank on the Jordan River, which was conducted under the pretext of rooting out terrorists.

Abu Akleh, a native of East Jerusalem who had covered the Israel-Palestine conflict for 25 years, was mourned by thousands of Palestinian residents at the funeral. This crowd is estimated to be the largest gathering at a funeral since the 2001 funeral of Faisal Husseini, a senior leader of the Palestinian Authority.

The body of Abu Akleh, who was at a hospital in East Jerusalem, was taken through a Catholic church in the Old City of Jerusalem before being buried in a cemetery. As the Palestinian residents accompanying her final journey carried her coffin out of the hospital, they waved the Palestinian flag and chanted "Palestine."

In response, Israeli police entered the scene wielding batons, tearing Palestinian flags, and attempting to disperse the crowd by firing stun grenades. During this process, one of the people carrying Abu Akleh’s coffin lost balance, nearly causing the coffin to fall to the ground. Gibara Budeiri, an Al Jazeera correspondent present at the scene, strongly condemned the Israeli police’s violence as an act of killing Abu Akleh twice.

Later, Israeli police escorted the hearse carrying Abu Akleh’s coffin but also tore off the Palestinian flag attached to the hearse.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

In response to the controversy over the actions of the Israeli police, the Israeli police claimed that Palestinian residents engaged in "nationalistic agitation," disobeyed orders to stop, and threw stones. They also stated, "The crowd threatened the hearse driver, took over the coffin, and attempted an unplanned march," adding, "We only intervened to ensure the funeral proceeded in a planned manner that aligned with the wishes of the bereaved family."

However, criticism is rising worldwide. U.S. President Joe Biden, when asked by reporters about this, said, "I do not know all the details," but added, "I know that an investigation needs to be conducted." United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres expressed deep concern in a statement about "the confrontation between Israeli security police and Palestinians gathered at St. Joseph’s Hospital, as well as the behavior of some police officers at the scene."

Meanwhile, disputes continue over the cause of the journalist’s death between Palestine and Israel. The Palestinian side claims that Abu Akleh was killed by bullets fired by the Israeli military, while Israel argues that she may have been hit by gunfire from Palestinian militants. The Israeli military has requested the bullets embedded in the body for professional examination, but Palestine has stated it will conduct an independent investigation and plans to refer the case to the International Criminal Court (ICC).