Dispute over how Palestinian minister Ziad Abu Ein died

The Palestinian Authority has accused Israel of the murder of a minister who died in a scuffle with Israeli troops in the West Bank on Wednesday, but Israel says he died of a heart attack.

The different interpretations of a joint autopsy emerged as Ziad Abu Ein (55) was buried in Ramallah with full military honours.

Israeli and Palestinian pathologists, who together with Jordanian doctors carried a joint autopsy on Mr Abu Ein, drew different conclusions over the cause of death.

The Palestinian forensic expert, Dr Saber al-Aloul, said the death was caused by a blow and inhaling tear gas, not from natural causes.

But Israel’s ministry of health said the examination showed Mr Abu Ein had underlying heart problems, and the immediate cause of death was a blockage to a cardiac artery, which may have been caused by stress after an Israeli border policemen grabbed him by the throat.

Killed in cold blood

Despite the different interpretations, senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said the Palestinian Authority held the Israeli government fully responsible as the report clearly showed that Mr Abu Ein had been “killed in cold blood”.

Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli troops in the Ramallah and Hebron areas and south of Bethlehem yesterday as Mr Abu Ein’s state funeral was attended by thousands of mourners carrying Palestinian and Fatah flags.

A presidential honour guard carried Mr Abu Ein’s coffin from president Mahmoud Abbas’s Muqataa headquarters to a nearby graveyard, where there was a 21-gun salute. Mourners chanted “Revenge” and “Your blood will not be spilled in vain”.

Mr Abbas declared three days of mourning and referred to Mr Abu Ein as a “martyr” and a hero of the Palestinian resistance.

Hamas and the Islamic Jihad called on the Palestinian Authority to stop security co-ordination with Israel in response to the death. The two groups also called for escalating "resistance" against Israel.

Israel has deployed two extra battalions in the West Bank, fearing an escalation in response to the death.

Security co-operation

Palestinian officials reported that security co-operation with the Israeli military has been halted, but local Israeli commanders reported no change on the ground.

Mr Erekat said the Palestinian leadership had also decided to turn to the United Nations Security Council to request recognition of Palestinian statehood, and to apply for membership to the international criminal court in order to pursue allegations of war crimes against Israel.

An Israeli military spokesman said the army’s investigation is continuing and all soldiers who were involved in the incident are being questioned. He said Israel will apologise if it concludes a mistake had been made.

Mr Abu Ein, a member of the Fatah party’s revolutionary council, previously served as undersecretary to the minister of prisoner affairs.

At the time of his death, Mr Abu Ein was head of the committee against Israel’s security fence and settlements.