Thousands of Palestinians, government officials and staff members of Al-Jazeera today attended the funeral of the slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, a day after she was killed by Israeli forces.
Abu Akleh’s body was shifted from the Istishari Hospital in the occupied West Bank city on Thursday morning to the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) presidential compound, where President Mahmoud Abbas honoured her and bid her farewell.
Speaking at the ceremony, Abbas said Israel was “fully responsible” for Abu Akleh’s death.
“We reject the joint investigation with Israel into the killing of Abu Akleh,” Abbas said, and added that the Palestinians would go to the International Criminal Court to seek justice.
A military service was also held for Abu Akleh at the compound. Abu Akleh’s body will be taken in a convoy to the St Louis French Hospital in Sheikh Jarrah, in occupied East Jerusalem, where her family lives.
Abu Akleh’s burial is expected to take place on Friday in occupied East Jerusalem.
Journalists and mourners began gathering on Thursday morning at the hospital in preparation for the ceremony.
On Wednesday, Abu Akleh was honoured in several Palestinian cities, such as Jenin, where she was killed, Nablus, and Ramallah, as her body was brought to the city. Several protests were held, with hundreds of Palestinians attending.
Witnesses, including Al Jazeera journalists, said Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli forces during coverage of a raid in Jenin on Wednesday morning.
