RAMALLAH, Saturday, December 14, 2019 (WAFA) – The overwhelming vote at the United Nations in favor of renewing the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) for three more years was highlighted on the front page of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies published today.

The main front page headline in al-Ayyam said, “UN renews UNRWA mandate for three years and adopts several pro-Palestine and occupied Golan resolutions.” It said in the kicker that the vote was with an overwhelming majority and opposition from the United States and Israel only.

Al-Quds added to almost the same headline as al-Ayyam a kicker that said: “A strong slap for the positions of the US administration and Israeli occupation.”

Al-Hayat al-Jadida chose to highlight the reaction from President Mahmoud Abbas to the UN vote who described it as “a victory to international law and the rights of the Palestinian refugees.”

It also said that Abbas arrived yesterday in Sharm el-Sheikh Red Sea resort city in Egypt to attend a world youth forum and meet his Egyptian counterpart.

In other news, the papers highlighted the weekly protests at the Gaza border with Israel and in the West Bank against the Israeli occupation policies and the large number of injuries caused in the Israeli army crackdown on these protests.

Al-Quds said the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Shufat protested yesterday attacks by Israeli settlers, the last of which was slashing tires of 186 vehicles in the area, and held the Israeli government responsible for the rise in the attacks.

It said large crowds attended a rally in Gaza marking the launch anniversary of Hamas movement.

Al-Ayyam, al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said two local corruption watchdog groups said in a joint statement that the Transparency International report on Palestine was not accurate in its calculations of the level of corruption in Palestine.

The three papers also reported on the Algerian and British elections as well as the political situation in Israel following the decision to hold a third round elections in one year and the predicament of US President Donald Trump, who is facing impeachment.

M.K.