Thousands of people packed Jerusalem`s tense Old City yesterday for the burial of veteran Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, after Israeli police stormed the start of the funeral procession.
Israel and the Palestinians have traded blame over the fatal shooting of the Palestinian-American on Wednesday during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank.
The interim findings of an Israeli army investigation could not determine who fired the bullet that killed Abu Akleh, the military said. But an army statement noted a soldier could have fired the bullet that killed the 51-year-old journalist, in what Al Jazeera called a deliberate "killing in cold blood".
TV images showed Abu Akleh`s coffin nearly falling to the ground as Israeli police grabbed Palestinian flags from the crowd around the procession outside Saint Joseph`s hospital in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.
Thousands of mourners attended the funeral at a church in Jerusalem`s Old City in the afternoon. Grief over her killing spilled beyond Palestinian territories, with protests erupting in Turkey, Sudan and elsewhere.
The United States, European Union and United Nations have backed calls for a full investigation into Abu Akleh`s killing. The Palestinian Authority has rejected holding a joint probe with the Jewish state.
On Thursday, Israel advanced plans for 4,427 housing units for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli non-governmental organisation said. The Civil Administration`s high planning committee gave final approval to 2,791 units and initial endorsement for another 1,636 units, said Peace Now.
