RAMALLAH, February 17, 2016 (WAFA) – The three Palestinian Arabic dailies Wednesday highlight the Israeli Supreme Court’s rejection to transfer hunger-striking detainee Muhammad al-Qiq to a Ramallah hospital.

The dailies reported that the court rejected al-Qiq’s demand to be transferred to a Palestinian hospital in Ramallah.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida added in this regard that as a result of the rejection of his appeal, al-Qiq decided to continue his hunger strike. The paper slammed the court’s rejection of his appeal as “an insistence to assassinate him”.

Highlighting Israeli forces and settlers’ assaults of Palestinians, al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported that Israeli forces delivered demolition notices for eight commercial structures in Barta‘a Ash-Shaqiya village, southwest of Jenin.

They also reported that forces delivered demolition notices for Palestinian residential dwellings in the East Jerusalem community of Jabal al-Baba. 

Al-Quds added in this regard that forces uprooted olive saplings in the Wadi Qana area, west of the Salfit village of Deir Istiya.

Al-Ayyam also reported in this regard that Israeli forces sealed off al-‘Araqa village, west of Jenin, with earth mounds.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov arrived at the Gaza Strip.

The three dailies reported that thousands of teachers demonstrated in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Ramallah calling for the implementation of a 2013 agreement guaranteeing their rights.

Al-Quds reported that the Israeli Municipality of West Jerusalem resumed works to install a cable car projects in and around Jerusalem’s Old City.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam highlighted that Israeli police briefly detained Washington Post’s Jerusalem bureau chief, William Booth, and West Bank correspondent, Sufian Taha, in Jerusalem for alleged “incitement”. Al-Quds reported on the Foreign Press Association slamming their brief detention as an “absurd accusation”.

Highlighting Palestinian cabinet’s weekly session, al-Quds reported on the cabinet as calling the Middle East Quartet to push toward an international peace conference.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida quoted the cabinet: “Palestinian leadership is still facing a financial embargo due to its political positions.”

The three dailies highlighted Israel’s rejection of the French bid to hold an international peace conference. Israel was reported as describing the bid as “baffling”.

Al-Ayyam quoted member of the PLO Executive Committee Ahmad Majdalani as stating: “Paris is preparing to hold an international conference in the upcoming summer. The conference will be preceded by a preparatory meeting that would set up a follow-up mechanism.”

K.F/M.H