RAMALLAH, Thursday, May 02, 2019 (WAFA) – Israeli demolition of homes and settlers chopping dozens of olive trees in the West Bank were highlighted on the front page of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies today.
They said Israel demolished residential structures in the south of Hebron while settlers chopped over 150 olive trees in the village of Burqa in the north of the West Bank.
The lead story in al-Quds daily, which was also reported on the front page of al-Ayyam, touched on remarks by Jarod Kushner, senior adviser to and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump and author of the so-called deal of the century, in which he said that the two-state solution did not work and that there should be new ideas to achieve peace in the Middle East conflict.
The three papers also said the Ministry of Finance is going to pay public employees 60% of their salary for April with the advent of the holy fast month of Ramadan, expect to start on Monday, while the prisoners and wounded, as well as families of those killed by Israel are going to get full salary. This is the third month in a row employees are getting half salary as a result of Israel’s deducting millions of dollars from the Palestinian clearance revenues, which normally cover over 60% of the Palestinian budget.
Al-Ayyam said the European Union has proposed a method in which the Palestinian Authority continues to pay salaries for families of prisoners and wounded as a way to bypass the Israeli sanctions.
It quoted UNRWA commission general saying that 500 emergency employees will be rehired on full time bases in Gaza.
Al-Quds said Israel intends to open two new bypass roads, one bypassing Hawwara town in the north of the West Bank and the other bypassing Arroub refugee camp in the south, to serve Israeli settlers in those areas.
It also said Israel is recommending building an industrial area on the Gaza border with Israel as part of a calming deal between Hamas, which runs Gaza, and Israel.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida said Israeli prison guards raided cells in Asqalan prison in the south of Israel and destroyed belongings of Palestinian political prisoners.
It quoted Mohammad Mustafa, head of the Palestine Investment Fund, saying that the Palestinian Authority began gradual disengagement from the Israeli economy with practical steps.
The papers also reported on the celebration marking International Workers’ Day, which coincided yesterday.
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