RAMALLAH, Saturday, November 16, 2019 (WAFA) – The overwhelming vote at the United Nations General Assembly’s Fourth Committee in favor of renewing the mandate of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) dominated the front page of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies today.
This issue was given special attention in light of American and Israeli efforts to do away with UNRWA as part of a plan to undermine Palestinian refugee rights in their homeland they were expelled from 70 years ago when Israel was created on their land and in their homes.
The US and Israel where the only two states voting against the renewal of the mandate while 170 countries voted in favor.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida said President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the vote.
In other news, al-Hayat al-Jadida said also a Palestinian photojournalist was hit in the eye by a rubber bullet fired by Israeli soldiers while covering clashes in the town of Surif in the south of the West Bank.
He was one of dozens of Palestinians injured by either rubber bullets or teargas inhalation in the Israeli army’s crackdown on the weekly anti-settlements, anti-wall protests in the occupied West Bank, particularly Kufr Qaddoum and Bethlehem.
Al-Quds made the Israeli army crackdown and attacks on Gaza at its main front page story. It said the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and the International Federation of Journalists have condemned the shooting in the eye of photojournalist Moath Amarneh.
Al-Ayyam said Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinian olive harvesters in the village of Jaloud in the north of the West Bank.
It said the Israel Prison Services moved Sami Abu Diak, a political prisoner, to hospital following deterioration in his health. Abu Diak is suffering from cancer, which seem to have spread all over his body. Palestinians accuse Israel of medical neglect of the prisoners.
It also quoted the European Union saying, on the occasion of the Palestinian Declaration of Independence Day, which coincided yesterday, that there should be an agreed negotiated solution for the creation of the independent Palestinian state.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida said, based on Israeli media, that Israel is going to give favors to Hamas for not engaging in the latest round of fighting in Gaza.
It also said Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar was kicked out from the condolence house for Islamic Jihad leader Bahaa Abu al-Atta, who was assassinated by Israel on Monday.
Al-Ayyam said the Israeli army was investigating the mass killing of a Palestinian family in Deir al-Balah when its home was hit by Israeli missiles mistakenly believing an Islamic Jihad leader was in the house. Eight people, including two women and five children, were killed in the attack.
M.K.
