RAMALLAH, Wednesday, January 22, 2020 (WAFA) – The killing of three Palestinians by Israeli military gunfire near Gaza’s frontier dominated the front page headlines in Wednesday’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported that Israeli military killed three Palestinian young men near the border fence to the east of the besieged Gaza Strip.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida added in this regard that the three young men were killed purportedly for infiltrating the border fence into southern Israel.
The three slain Palestinians were identified as Mohammad Hani Abu Mandeel, 18, Salem Zuweid an-Na‘ami, 18, and Mahmoud Khaled Sa‘id, 18. The three were from al-Maghazi in the central Gaza Strip.
Al-Ayyam said that salvos of explosive balloons were launched from Gaza into southern Israel.
It reported a “reliable political source” stating that Palestinian protestors, dubbing themselves as the Nighttime Confusion Units, decided to launch protests and the launching of incendiary balloons into southern Israel as a means to pressurize Israel and Egypt.
The dailies highlighted Israeli officials’ statements pledging to annex the Jordan Valley, located in the eastern occupied West Bank.
Al-Quds covered Israeli media reports saying that a bill will be submitted to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, over the annexation of the Jordan Valley.
Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledging to impose Israeli law on all Israeli colonial settlements across the West Bank.
Netanyahu was also reported in al-Ayyam pledging to immediately apply Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley.
Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz was also reported in al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida stating that he would seek to annex the Jordan Valley if he wins the election.
Spotlighting Palestinian protests to annexation of the Jordan Valley, the dailies reported spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency Nabil Abu Rudeineh pose a threat to peace and stability.
Palestinian-Israeli lawmaker Ahmad Tibi was reported in al-Quds slamming Gantz’s “maneuvers” over the annexation of the Jordan Valley as “dangerous”.
According to al-Quds, Israeli forces detained 16 Palestinians in multiple overnight raids across the occupied West Bank.
According to the dailies, President Mahmoud Abbas received Chechen President’s Advisor and Representative to Arab and Islamic Countries Troko Dodov at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah.
Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida highlighted Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh’s participation in the 2020 World Economic Forum’s (WEF) meeting in Davos.
Al-Quds elaborated that Shtayyeh discussed with Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde support to youth and women empowerment programs on the sidelines of the WEF’s meeting.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida also reported him stressing that the European Union’s recognition of the State of Palestine is a necessity given the Israeli threats to annex the Jordan Valley.
Al-Ayyam spotlighted Shtayyeh’s statements as part of an interview with the Israeli daily newspapers Haaretz. The interview appeared under the title Palestinian Prime Minister to Haaretz: ‘The Fact That We Even Survive Is a Miracle’.
It reported him explaining that Israel is waging four wars against the Palestinian people.
Al-Quds reported the Council of Islamic Waqf and Religious Affairs in Jerusalem warning against Israel’s efforts to target mosque preachers and meddle with the content of the Friday sermon.
Al-Quds highlighted Israeli media reports revealing that the International Criminal Court (ICC) temporarily delays ruling on Israeli war crimes case.
It said that Netanyahu seeks to mobilize the influx of foreign leaders visiting Israel for the 75th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation to block ICC from opening an investigation into Israeli war crimes.
K.F.
