RAMALLAH, Monday, March 02, 2020 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas’ remarks on elections and allegations of talks with the US administration dominated the front page headlines in today’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.
Abbas was reported in the dailies stating: “We are experiencing great difficulties, but we are able to overcome them.”
He was also reported in al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida reiterating categorical refusal to hold elections without Jerusalem and affirming that there were no contacts between the Palestinian Authority and the US administration.
He was also reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida noting that there would be no talks as the US so-called “peace plan”, also dubbed “deal of the century”, remains on the negotiation table.
Abbas made his remarks during a meeting with Fatah members in Ramallah.
Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh was reported in al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida stating that the Israeli occupation poses the gravest security threat in the region.
He made his remarks during the 37th session of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers in Tunisia.
The dailies highlighted the latest spate of Israeli settlers’ attacks across the West Bank.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam said that Israeli settlers uprooted 200 olive saplings in al-Mughayyir village, east of Ramallah.
Al-Quds added that settlers stormed a Palestinian house in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
It said that settlers razed a large tract of land belonging to Qusra village, south of Nablus, in order to establish a new colonial settlement outpost.
Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida added in this regard that Israeli forces, who protected settlers, attacked villagers who attempted to fend off the settlers, injuring several and detaining one.
According to al-Quds, two Hamas delegations are visiting Egypt and Russia.
It reported senior Hamas official Ismail Radwan announcing that Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh is in Moscow to discuss efforts to achieve intra-Palestinian reconciliation and the ramifications of the US plan.
It added that the Islamic Jihad movement has received an invitation to visit Moscow.
The dailies said that the so-called ‘Temple Mount’ groups called on their followers to en masse barge their way into Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound today.
They reported Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu pledging to annex huge swathes of the West Bank territory within weeks if re-elected.
Al-Quds reported former head of the Prisoners’ Affairs Committee, Issa Qaraqe, slamming Hamas-run security forces in Gaza for torturing to death Issam al-Sa‘afin, a Fatah member, while in detention.
According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli occupation authorities have imposed closure on the West Bank and Gaza crossings due to the elections.
The Palestinian Health Ministry was reported saying that Palestine was free from coronavirus and that 65 Palestinians were placed under quarantine as a precautionary measure.
Regionally, Jordanian Premier Omar al-Razzaz was reported in al-Ayyam stating that peace treaty between his country and Israel is at risk and Jordan’s relations with Israel “are at their lowest level.”
K.F./M.K.
