International officials expressed their shock at the scenes of the brutal assault by Israeli occupation forces on the funeral procession of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied city of Jerusalem.

The High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, said, "The European Union is shocked by the scenes that erupted on Friday during the funeral of the Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in occupied East Jerusalem."

He added, "The European Union condemns the disproportionate use of force and the disrespectful behavior by the Israeli police against the participants in the mourning procession, adding, 'Allowing a peaceful farewell and allowing mourners to grieve peacefully without harassment and insult is the minimum of human respect... We renew our call for a thorough and independent investigation to clarify all the circumstances of Shireen Abu Akleh’s death to bring those responsible for her killing to justice.'"

For his part, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders said, "The attack carried out by Israeli forces on the mourners at the funeral of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is outrageously angry."

Sanders added in a tweet on Twitter, "The United States must condemn this and demand an independent investigation into her killing."

As for the Irish government's Foreign Minister and Defense Minister, Simon Coveney, he said, "The scenes of the assault on Shireen Abu Akleh’s procession are shameful for the brutality of the police at a very sensitive funeral."

He added in a tweet, "No self-respecting democracy can stand silent in the face of what happened, and the international community should strongly condemn this assault."

For his part, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said, "I followed with deep sadness the funeral of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in occupied East Jerusalem... We were moved by the large gathering of thousands of Palestinian mourners over the past two days to participate in the farewell and funeral of Abu Akleh."

He expressed strong dismay "at the actions of Israeli security forces towards the Palestinian crowds at Saint Joseph Hospital during the procession."

Guterres urged "respect for fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom of opinion and expression and peaceful assembly."

On another note, the Canadian newspaper "The Star" wrote, "If Canada wants to begin to live up to its proclaimed higher ideals of supporting freedom, human rights, and working for peace in the region, Prime Minister Trudeau’s government must stop providing diplomatic cover for Israel at the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and other international forums, stop selling arms to Israel, and pressure for an independent investigation into Abu Akleh’s death."