JERUSALEM, (Reuters) – Israeli police clashed against Palestinian mourners gathered around Shireen Abu Akleh’s coffin at Friday’s start of her funeral procession.

Television footage revealed that dozens of flag waving, chanting Palestinians confronted police officers disguised as cops at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Israeli annexed East Jerusalem.

After the officers had charged the crowd, one of the women carrying the coffin almost fell against the wall. The group then recovered the casket just in time to be retrieved from the ground.

This violence reflected the increasing anger about Abu Akleh’s death, and has threatened to intensify an already volatile conflict.

Abu Akleh was a journalist who covered the Middle East and Palestinian affairs for over two decades. He was reporting from the Israeli raid on the West Bank, Wednesday.

Palestinian officials described Abu Akleh’s death as an Israeli assassination. While Israel initially claimed that Palestinian fire was to blame for her death, Israeli officials now say they cannot rule out Israeli gunfire.

Israeli police stated that the group of Palestinians, whom they called rioters, had started throwing stones into the hospital compound. They added that “The policemen had to take action” The Palestinian authorities did not immediately comment.

The coffin of Abu Akleh was taken to the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Virgin, Jerusalem’s Walled Old City. There, the ceremony took place peacefully.

INVESTIGATIONS & RAIDS

On Friday, the Israeli military stated that their initial investigations had concluded that “it is impossible to determine definitively the origin of the gunfire that killed Ms. Abu Akleh.”

According to the military, there are two possible explanations for this inquiry. The military stated that Abu Akleh had been hit by Palestinian militants. They fired many bullets towards Israeli military vehicles. “This is also where Ms. Abu Akleh stood.”

A second incident was that an Israeli soldier firing on a jeep towards a gunman accidentally shot at her. The military stated that the vehicle was about 200 metres away from Abu Akleh.

Israeli forces resumed their raids in Jenin’s outskirts Friday, killing Abu Akleh.

The Palestinian Health Ministry stated that at least 13 were injured. A military statement claimed that an Israeli policeman was severely injured during a counter-terrorism operation.

Jenin Brigade was an armed group of militants from Palestinian Islamic Jihad. It claimed that its fighters engaged in armed clashes in Jenin with Israeli forces. Local residents reported that Israeli forces had arrested a militant belonging to the Islamic Jihad Group.

The death of Abu Akleh has been widely condemned. Abu Akleh (51), was seen wearing a blue vest with the words “Press” in video footage taken just moments after her death.

She was accompanied by at least two other colleagues, who said they’d been under Israeli sniper attack but were far from militants.

Israel has expressed regret over Abu Akleh’s death and has suggested a joint investigation, asking the Palestinians to submit the bullet.

Israeli requests were rejected by the Palestinians. The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abubas said Thursday that Israel is fully responsible for the incident and demanded an international investigation.

Israel is increasing its raids in the face of deadly Israeli attacks. Palestinians and Israeli Arabs have attacked Israel in terror attacks that mostly target civilians.

The Jenin region has been home to some of these assailants. Israeli arrest raids have caused clashes, and the Palestinians who have been killed or wounded by Israeli forces in West Bank since the beginning have reached 42. These casualties can include militant armed personnel, as well as lone attackers and innocent bystanders.