Palestinian Minister Buried Amid Tensions Over Cause of Death

_79657147_79657142

A Palestinian government minister who died yesterday after a confrontation with Israeli soldiers has been buried in Ramallah, amid a dispute over the cause of his death. BBC covered the event:

Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said Ziad Abu Ein had been suffocated and beaten by Israeli soldiers. Israel, however, says Mr Abu Ein, 55, had a heart condition and suffered a heart attack brought on by stress.

He died on Wednesday shortly after an Israeli policeman grabbed him by the throat at a protest in the West Bank. Ziad Abu Ein’s funeral was held on Thursday with full military honours in Ramallah. Palestinian official Saeb Erekat says the autopsy report shows Ziad Abu Ein was ”killed in cold blood”

Thousands of people joined the procession from the presidential headquarters to a nearby cemetery, with the sounds of drums and bagpipes filling the air, as well as sporadic gunfire.

Earlier in the day, Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian pathologists attended a preliminary examination of Mr Abu Ein’s body, but Israel and the Palestinians issued differing accounts. Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat told the BBC his death had been caused by “Israeli soldiers suffocating and beating up Ziad Abu Ein”, saying he held the Israeli government fully responsible.