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Crowds flock to Jerusalem funeral for Palestinian teenager | Crowds flock to Jerusalem funeral for Palestinian teenager |
(35 minutes later) | |
Thousands of people have attended the funeral of a murdered Palestinian teenager in East Jerusalem amid heightened tensions with Israel. | |
Mohammad Abu Khdair's family believe he was killed in revenge for the murders of three young Israelis in June, but police have yet to establish a motive. | |
He was buried at a cemetery near the family's home in Shufat district. | |
Hundreds of Palestinian youths clashed with Israeli police in East Jerusalem before and after the funeral. | |
The funeral came as Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip continued to trade fire into each other's territory, though with less intensity than in recent days. | |
Earlier on Friday, Hamas said it was ready to halt its rocket and mortar attacks on southern Israel if the Israel military ceased its air raids on the Palestinian territory. | |
An Israeli security official told the BBC: "The ball is in Hamas' court. We informed Hamas that calm will be answered with calm." | |
Israeli officials handed the body of 16-year-old Mohammad Abu Khdair over to his family on Friday morning. | |
It was said to be badly burnt following his abduction and murder, slowing the identification process and preventing the family from burying him on Thursday in line with Islamic tradition. | |
Shrouded in a Palestinian flag, it was carried by mourners through the streets of East Jerusalem after the first Friday prayer services of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. | |
At the scene: Kevin Connolly, BBC News, Jerusalem | At the scene: Kevin Connolly, BBC News, Jerusalem |
In both communities in this deeply divided and sharply polarised city there was a widespread expectation that the funeral of Mohammad Abu Khdair would be a flashpoint between Palestinian protestors and the Israeli security forces. | In both communities in this deeply divided and sharply polarised city there was a widespread expectation that the funeral of Mohammad Abu Khdair would be a flashpoint between Palestinian protestors and the Israeli security forces. |
So it proved. | So it proved. |
Minutes after Friday prayers ended, the streets of districts like Shufat and Beit Hanina began to fill as worshippers poured out of the mosques. | Minutes after Friday prayers ended, the streets of districts like Shufat and Beit Hanina began to fill as worshippers poured out of the mosques. |
Young men in masks could be seen striding purposefully towards the front through groups of slower-moving mourners. | Young men in masks could be seen striding purposefully towards the front through groups of slower-moving mourners. |
Mohammad Abu Khdair's body was carried in open-topped coffin decorated with the Palestinian flag through cheering crowds. In the chants, he was described as a martyr. | Mohammad Abu Khdair's body was carried in open-topped coffin decorated with the Palestinian flag through cheering crowds. In the chants, he was described as a martyr. |
The Israeli police have held back from the event in Shuafat, effectively setting up a cordon a short distance away to pen the protests into one area of Arab East Jerusalem. | The Israeli police have held back from the event in Shuafat, effectively setting up a cordon a short distance away to pen the protests into one area of Arab East Jerusalem. |
The potential for further confrontation remains on a day of extraordinary tension here. | The potential for further confrontation remains on a day of extraordinary tension here. |
A major Israeli security operation was launched in East Jerusalem after two previous days of clashes there between stone-throwing masked Palestinian youths and Israeli police. | |
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said officers had clashed on Friday with hundreds of stone-throwing Palestinians in Ras al-Amud and Wadi Joz. | |
Police officers had responded with stun grenades, he added. | |
There were no reports of injuries. | |
Tit-for-tat? | |
Mohammad Abu Khdair was seen being forced into a car in Shufat, East Jerusalem, early on Wednesday and his body was later found in West Jerusalem. | Mohammad Abu Khdair was seen being forced into a car in Shufat, East Jerusalem, early on Wednesday and his body was later found in West Jerusalem. |
It came after the bodies of the three Israeli seminary students were found near the city of Hebron on Monday, two-and-a-half weeks after they were abducted. Their funerals took place on Tuesday. | |
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed their deaths on Hamas and called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to abandon a reconciliation deal his Fatah movement had struck with the group. Hamas has denied any involvement in the murders. | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed their deaths on Hamas and called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to abandon a reconciliation deal his Fatah movement had struck with the group. Hamas has denied any involvement in the murders. |
Israel-Gaza tensions | Israel-Gaza tensions |
Are you in the area? You can email details of your experiences and comments to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the title 'Funeral' | Are you in the area? You can email details of your experiences and comments to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the title 'Funeral' |