RAMALLAH, Monday, December 16, 2019 (WAFA) – Israel’s plan to seize large tracts of Palestinian agricultural land in the northern West Bank district of Qalqilya dominated the front-page headlines in today’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.

On the other hand, al-Hayat al-Jadida opted to spotlight President Mahmoud Abbas’ visit to Egypt. It said that President Abbas discussed with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi the latest developments on the Palestinian arena in light of the recent challenges.

The dailies highlighted the latest spate of settlers’ attacks against Palestinians across the West Bank.

Settlers vandalized several bulldozers parked at the site of a road construction project in the Jordan Valley and hurled stones at Palestinian commuters on the Nablus-Qalqilya Road.

Expanding on the theme of settlers’ violence, al-Quds reported a number of human rights groups warning that settlers’ violence has crossed the red line under the watch of Israeli military forces and with complicit Israeli courts.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida highlighted Haaretz report Israeli Hate Crimes Against Palestinians Were Fewer, but More Brazen in 2019.

According to al-Quds, Israeli occupation authorities prevented the restoration of a water spring in Qaryut village, located to the southeast of Nablus city.

It added that dozens of Palestinian workers suffocated from tear gas fired by Israeli forces at a gate in the section of Israel’s apartheid wall, west of Qaffin town, northeast of Tulkarm city in the north of the West Bank.

Spotlighting the situation in Jerusalem, al-Quds reported Deputy Jerusalem Governor Abdullah Siyam stating that 18,000 Palestinian houses in Jerusalem face the imminent threat of demolition by Israel.

It said that 138 Israeli settlers and security officers barged their way into Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound yesterday.

It reported the Jerusalem Islamic Endowments (Awqaf) Department demanding a halt on Israeli excavations in the Umayyad Palaces just outside the wall of the Old City of Jerusalem adjacent to Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam said that Brazil intends to relocate its embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The planned move, al-Quds elaborated, follows the opening of a trade office for Brazil in Jerusalem.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam said that head of Hamas political bureau Ismail Haniyeh arrived to the Qatari capital, Doha.

They said that Chairman of the Qatari Committee for Gaza Reconstruction Mohammad al-Emadi is scheduled to arrive in Gaza tomorrow to hand over equipment to Gaza Civil Defense Service.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida published a feature story about Christmas in Bethlehem titled, “Despite the occupation, Bethlehem remains the City of Joy.”

Health Minister Mai Al-Kaila was reported in al-Ayyam stating that the government would soon launch the Turkish-funded hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Regionally, al-Quds said that Qatar Fund for Development and the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, concluded an agreement in support of the refugees.

The $20.7 million agreement, al-Hayat al-Jadida, explained, will support the access of Palestinian refugees to basic services in Syria.

K.F./M.K.