Shireen Abu Akleh: Mourners bid farewell to Palestinian journalist killed by Israel

A large crowd of mourners bid farewell to veteran Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh after she was shot in the head and killed by Israeli troops in the illegally occupied West Bank on Wednesday.

Abu Akleh, a US-Palestinian dual national, had been reporting for Al Jazeera on an Israeli security raid in Jenin city while wearing a jacket that clearly identified her as 'press', the network said.

As Palestinians carried her body through Jenin, a press vest and the national flag covered her body. Her funeral will take place on Thursday.

"The symbolism is overwhelming," tweeted Al Jazeera English journalist Arwa Ibrahim.

"Shireen Abu Akleh, the brave Palestinian journalist, who spent decades reporting on Israeli aggression, was killed in Jenin – a symbol of Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation."

As Palestinians carried Abu Akleh's body on their shoulders, mourners chanted "Allahu akbar" or "God is greater" - a phrase commonly used in times of pain and suffering.

Several men were brought to tears as people gathered around Abu Akleh's body to pay their respects while a Christian priest spoke to the crowd.

The ceremony of transferring the body of #AlJazeera correspondent Shereen Abu Aqleh to the Church of the Latin Monastery in #Jenin, the body will be transferred to #Jerusalem after a tour of the West Bank cities, she will be will be buried in Jerusalem tomorrow pic.twitter.com/SIMjEYDZIo

— Rushdi Abualouf (@Rushdibbc) May 11, 2022

Her body was moved into Jenin's Church of the Latin Monastery, Palestinian BBC journalist Rushdi Abualouf tweeted.

He said her body will be taken around different cities in the West Bank before being laid to rest in Jerusalem on Thursday.

At 6:13am, in her last email to Al Jazeera correspondents before she was killed, Abu Akleh said: "Occupation forces storm Jenin and besiege a house in the Jabriyat neighbourhood.

"On the way there, I will bring you news as soon as the picture becomes clear."