Israel to investigate police violence on mourners at journalist’s burial

On Saturday, Israeli police started an inquiry into assaults on Palestinian mourners attending Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh’s funeral march in occupied East Jerusalem.

According to a police statement quoted by The Times of Israel, the probe was launched on the directives of Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai and Public Security Minister Omer Barlev.

“The Israel police will be looking into the events that ensued during the funeral,” the statement said.

The Israeli move followed widespread criticism of the police onslaught on mourners at Abu Akleh’s burial, which utilised batons and stun grenades and nearly caused the coffin to topple.

The investigation’s findings will be given to officials in the following days, according to police.

On Friday, Israeli police encircled mourners and assaulted pallbearers carrying Abu Akleh’s casket as it was being brought out of the French hospital in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah district, using stun grenades and batons.

Abu Akleh, an experienced 51-year-old journalist, was killed on Wednesday while documenting an Israeli military assault near the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. According to Palestinian sources and Al Jazeera, she was slain by Israeli soldiers.