Updated at 6:53 p.m. EDT

Tensions in Israel ratcheted up on Friday as Israeli police confronted rioters and stone throwers at the funeral for a slain Al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh. The casket was dropped briefly in a disputed start to a procession that appeared to be less about private grief than an assertion of resistance and nationalism.  

The Associated Press noted that thousands of people, many waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Palestine, Palestine” and “We sacrifice our soul and blood for you, Shireen,” attended the funeral. It was believed to be the largest Palestinian funeral in Jerusalem since Faisal Husseini, a Palestinian leader and cousin of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, died in 2001

The circumstances that precipitated the clash were unclear, with the Washington Post reporting that prior arrangements between the family of the deceased and the Israeli government to escort her casket to a Catholic church in the Old City were foiled when “masses began gathering around the hearse of Shireen Abu Akleh and chaos ensued.” 

The Post also relates that “a group of men in the crowd prevented a hearse from backing up to the hospital door, saying they were intent on carrying her body on their shoulders.” These men allegedly wrested the coffin from Abu Alekh’s family. 

This account was endorsed by the Israel police, who tweeted that “about 300 rioters arrived at Saint Joseph hospital in Jerusalem and prevented the family members from loading the coffin onto the hearse to travel to the cemetery — as had been planned and coordinated with the family in advance.”

The police went on to explain that the actions of these rioters “went against the wishes of the Abu-Akleh family and the security coordination that had been planned to safeguard the large number of mourners.”

The scenes of violence were likely to add to the turmoil that has followed the death of Abu Akleh. Responsibility for her death is unclear, as Palestinian authorities have refused to accept Israel’s invitation to undertake a joint investigation or to share with Israel access to the bullet in question for forensic analysis. 

Channel 12 in Israel reports that “the bullet in question is a 5.56×45mm NATO round, which is used by both Israeli troops and Palestinian terrorists for weapons.” 

Israel is facing a wave of terrorism that has claimed more than a dozen lives since the middle of March.     

According to the AP, Abu Akleh, 51, was a household name across the Arab world, synonymous with Al Jazeera’s coverage of life in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. A 25-year veteran of the satellite channel, she was revered by Palestinians as a local hero.