State service for the slain Al Jazeera journalist took place in Ramallah before her body arrived in Jerusalem.
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Ramallah, occupied West Bank – A state service for the slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh took place in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, a day after she was killed by Israeli forces.
Thousands of Palestinians attended the ceremony, which took place at the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) presidential compound at noon on Thursday in the occupied West Bank city.
Abu Akleh was shot dead by Israeli forces while she was covering an Israeli military raid in Jenin city early on Wednesday.
President Mahmoud Abbas honoured Abu Akleh and bid her farewell at the compound, where a large procession by the national guard was also held.
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, adding that the Palestinian officials would go to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to seek justice.
Abu Akleh’s killing has sent shockwaves throughout Palestine and the Arab world.
The 51-year-old was a veteran correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic television, joining the station in 1997 only a year after its launch.
Many in Palestine remember her for her coverage of the Israeli army’s large scale invasions of major West Bank cities during the Second Intifada, or uprising, that began in 2000.
“The news of her martyrdom was like a slap on the face of every Palestinian,” said journalism student Azhar Khalaf.
