UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “deeply disturbed” by violence during the funeral procession for veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a spokesman said .

He “was deeply disturbed by the confrontations between Israeli security forces and Palestinians gathered at St Joseph Hospital, and the behavior of some police present at the scene,” Farhan Haq said.

Guterres “continues to urge respect for fundamental human rights, including the rights to freedom of opinion and expression and to peaceful assembly,” Haq added.

As her body left St Joseph’s hospital in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, Israeli police stormed the crowds of mourners who were hoisting Palestinian flags.

The Jewish state forbids public displays of Palestinian flags and routinely intervenes against those who parade them at demonstrations or other gatherings.

Police said they had warned the crowd to stop “nationalistic” songs and were forced to act as “violent rioters (were) trying to disrupt the proper course of the funeral.”

Israel and the Palestinians have traded blame over the fatal shooting of Abu Akleh during an Israeli raid in Jenin on Wednesday.

The Israeli army said an interim investigation could not determine who fired the fatal bullet, noting that stray Palestinian gunfire or Israeli sniper fire aimed at militants were both possible causes.

Al Jazeera has said Israel killed her “deliberately” and “in cold blood.