California man arrested over pro-Israel protester's death

Paul Kessler (pictured) attended the protest on 7 November

Police have arrested a suspect in the death of a Jewish man in California following a clash between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters.

Loay Alnaji was arrested on Thursday in connection with Paul Kessler's death and faces charges of involuntary manslaughter, officials said.

Mr Kessler, 69, fell during a dispute with counter-protesters on 7 November and died the next day in hospital.

Mr Alnaji's bail will be set at $1m (£804,922).

During the confrontation with counter-protesters, Mr Kessler fell backward and hit his head on the ground, a police statement said.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles said that Kessler was hit by a megaphone wielded by a pro-Palestinian protester, but that information could not be confirmed by police at the time.

An autopsy report ruled Mr Kessler's cause of death a homicide due to blunt force head injury consistent with a fall.

The autopsy also showed injuries to the left side of Mr Kessler's face.

Chief Medical Examiner Dr Christopher Young said the injuries to the front of the face "could be consistent with a blow to the face", NBC News reported.

Investigators efforts to determine the facts of the case were challenged, however, due to "conflicting statements" from witnesses, Ventura County Sheriff James Fryoff said.

They were "waiting to see evidence of what occurred in that interaction", Mr Fryhoff said previously.

In a statement on Thursday, police have urged anyone with information about the events particularly those with video, to come forward.

Officials have warned of rising threats and religion-based hate crimes against Jewish and Muslim people since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October.

Roughly 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 kidnapped, says Israel.

In Israel's retaliatory strikes on Gaza, more than 11,000 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.