RAMALLAH, January 30, 2017 (WAFA) – The killing of a Palestinian teenager by Israeli forces during a raid on Jenin refugee camp hit the front page headlines in the Palestinian dailies on Monday.
Muhammad Abu Khalifa was shot dead shortly after he turned 19, said the dailies adding that six others were shot and injured following clashes with the soldiers.
Abu Khalifa was reportedly fatally shot with a live bullet in the lower back that penetrated his body and exited from the abdomen. He was left on the ground for hours before paramedics were able to evacuate his body.
Highlighting detentions, al-Quds and al-Ayyam said Israeli forces detained a young Palestinian man for allegedly possessing a knife near the Israeli settlement of Talmon, west of Ramallah, and two other teenagers, including a female, near the Israeli settlement of Karni Shomron, east of Qalqiliya in the northern West Bank, for allegedly planning to carry out an attack.
A video tape showed two Israeli settlers holding the teenagers, who were in their school uniform, at gunpoint. The teenagers were returning home from school at the time.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam said Israeli occupation authorities plan to demolish 12 Palestinian homes under construction in Izbet Shufa, southeast of Tulkarm, in the northern West Bank.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida said Israel has doubled demolition of Palestinian homes and structures since the start of the year.
The dailies said the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, is scheduled to vote on Monday on the so-called "legalization bill."
The bill, also known as the regularization or formalization bill, would see thousands of dunums of privately owned Palestinian land seized and dozens of illegal settlement outposts across the West Bank retroactively recognized by the Israeli government. The bill would pave the way for Israel’s annexation of the majority of the West Bank.
Highlighting the situation at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, al-Quds said a total of 55 Jewish fanatics held provocative tours of the Muslim holy site.
It reported director of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Omar Kiswani, as stating following the UNESCO resolution affirming the mosque compound is purely Islamic heritage, Israel has adopted a new policy allowing Haredim Jewish settlers to tour the compound.
It added Palestinian officials vehemently decried UN Secretary General António Guterres’ remarks about the mosque compound.
Guterres reportedly stated to Israeli media that it was clear to him "the Temple destroyed by the Romans in Jerusalem was Jewish."
Furthermore, the dailies said President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to attend the 28th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam said a Palestinian diplomat survived an assassination attempt in Sidon, Lebanon.
Al-Ayyam reported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing his enthusiasm about moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
It reported him saying that not only the American embassy should be moved but all embassies.
It said Palestinian cabinet decided to hold local municipal elections on May 6, 2017.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida said Netanyahu’s Twitter remarks applauding US President Donald Trump’s plan to build a border wall with Mexico to keep out illegal immigrants drew Meixco’s ire
The papers also reported on the protests in the US against Trump‘s ban on immigrants from seven Islamic countries.
K.F./M.K.
