RAMALLAH, Tuesday, February 18, 2020 (WAFA) –  Finding the corpse of a Palestinian who went missing for 12 days dominated the front page headlines in Tuesday’s issue of the three Palestinian dailies.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported that the corpse of a Palestinian, who was slain by Israeli forces, was found to the west of Ramallah city.

The man was identified as Fakhr Mahmoud Abu-Zayed Qort, a 53-year-old father of six children from Bitunia city, west of Ramallah. He went missing from February 6.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the Qort family confirms that Fakhr was “martyred”, a term used to indicate that he was killed by Israeli forces.

Al-Ayyam added in this regard that the Qort family casts doubt over the Israeli occupation authorities’ version of the killing.

Israel claims that Fakhr was shot and injured by Israeli military gunfire purportedly for being involved in a shooting of Israelis near the colonial settlement of Dolev on February 6, before he fled and hid in a nearby valley and his corpse was ultimately uncovered by Israeli soldiers.

According to al-Quds and al-Ayyam, Israeli forces detained a Palestinian purportedly for attempting to stab a soldier near the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron’s Old City.

The dailies spotlighted President Mahmoud Abbas’ phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Al-Quds said in this regard that Abbas briefed Merkel on the Palestinian position rejecting the US ‘peace plan’, dubbed “deal of the century”.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida elaborated that Abbas explained in detail the alternative initiative he presented to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Merkel was reported in al-Ayyam reiterating her country’s support to peace based on the two-state vision.

Furthermore, the dailies said that Israeli bulldozers infiltrated Gaza’s frontier and razed land to the north of Beit Lahiya town.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli forces rounded up eight Palestinians in multiple raids across the West Bank.

Al-Quds revealed that Israeli occupation authorities have rounded up 65 Palestinians from Hebron since February 1.

Palestinian civil society organizations was reported in al-Quds expressing their rejection of all forms of politically-conditioned US support.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the Palestinian cabinet calls on Europe to recognize the State of Palestine and safeguard the two-state solution.

The cabinet was also reported in al-Ayyam confirming ongoing ban on the entry of Israeli products to the Palestinian market.

It was also reported confirming that the Palestinian territories are free from Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Premier Mohammad Shtayyeh was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida urging European parliaments to exert pressure to secure a European recognition of the State of Palestine.

According to al-Quds, Israeli police installed more surveillance cameras in the vicinity of Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida printed a feature story titled ]Palestinian[ neighborhoods in Jerusalem’s Old City are prone to collapse due to Israeli excavations.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the Jordanian-Palestinian Conference in Rejection of the so-called “deal of the century” concluded in Amman.

 Al-Quds said that the European Union (EU) defers response to the US “plan of diktats” –in reference to the so-called deal of the century plan- until after Israeli elections.

According to al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli forces cracked down on a peaceful rally in al-Mughayyir village, northeast of Ramallah, causing scores of protestors to suffocate from tear gas.

Assistant Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command Talal Naji was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida claiming that Abbas’ firm positions were behind the rejection of the US ‘peace plan’.

Jerusalem Affairs Minister Fadi Hidmi was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida cautioning that the Israeli government would use Palestinians  in Jerusalem as fuel for its elections.

Al-Ayyam highlighted Israel ‘Justice’ Ministry’s plan to deduct ILS 1.7 billion ($497 million) from the Palestinian tax revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.

It said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes that Germany and other states would foil an International Criminal Court’s inquiry into Israeli war crimes against Palestinians.

K.F.