Israeli and Palestinian officials issued conflicting accounts on Thursday over the results of an autopsy on a Palestinian Authority official who died after being involved in clashes during a protest near the village of Turmus Ayya on Wednesday. Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai decided with his Palestinian counterpart Hussein A-Sheikh to have an Israeli pathologist from the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute join the pathologists who arrived from Jordan to investigate Ziad Abu Ein's death. A-Sheikh told Reuters that Jordanian and Palestinian doctors involved in the late-night examination of the body said Abu Ein, 55, had died from "being struck, inhaling tear gas and a delay in providing medical attention." "His death was caused by a coronary occlusion, brought on by stress," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. He added that the stress may have been the result of the conflict with IDF soldiers, one of whom grabbed Abu Ein by the neck. The protest took place on Wednesday near the Adei Ad settlement, a site of ongoing dispute. That same day, the leaders of neighboring villages and human rights organization Yesh Din filed a petition to the High Court asking that Adei Ad be evacuated. In an effort to prevent protestors from crossing a line drawn to protect local residents, the Israel Defense Forces used stun and smoke grenades. A video of the protest shows the Palestinian official being grabbed and pushed, but an IDF official said Wednesday evening that "the circumstances that directly caused injury to the official are not seen." After Abu Ein collapsed, Palestinians evacuated him to a hospital in Ramallah, where he died. The IDF is questioning all soldiers who were present during the incident. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had delivered a message on Wednesday to the Palestinian Authority by way of attorney Isaac Molho, promising that Abu Ein's death would be thoroughly investigated. Despite reports to the contrary on Wednesday, the IDF said it did not receive any official message from the PA regarding the termination of security cooperation. IDF officials anticipate disturbances of the peace in the West Bank following Abu Ein's death, prompting Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz to send two battalions to reinforce security in the area. Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon responded to the incident in a statement: "We regret Abu Ein's death. The stability of the security situation is important to both sides, and we will continue [security] coordination with the Palestinian Authority." Meanwhile, PA President Mahmoud Abbas announced three days of mourning and said: "This was a barbaric crime. We will ensure those responsible [are punished] to the full extent of the law."
But an Israeli medical source familiar with the autopsy results told Reuters the official died from a heart attack and had a pre-existing heart condition.
Israeli, Palestinian officials dispute autopsy on dead PA official
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz sends two battalions to West Bank to reinforce security in the area, following the death of Palestinian Authority official Ziad Abu Ein • Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon says security cooperation with PA to continue.
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