RAMALLAH, Tuesday, March 17, 2020 (WAFA) – News about the new COVID-19 case confirmed in the northern West Bank hit the front pages of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies published today.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida, al-Ayyam and al-Quds said that a new coronavirus case was confirmed in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarm, the second in the city, and raising the number in Palestine to 39 cases.

They said that the new case is of a Palestinian student, who recently returned from Poland, and who seem to have shown signs of the virus.

The papers added that the government will take more pre-cautionary measures granting that more coronavirus cases are found in more West Bank cities.

Al-Ayyam and al-Quds said that Israeli settlers uprooted a number of vine tress in the village of Khirbet Beit Iskariya, located in the middle of the illegal Gush Etzion settlement bloc to the south of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem.

The newspapers reported that Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has asked Benny Gantz to form the new Israeli government.

They said Israel has declared a state of emergency in the public sector and cut short work in the private sector to confront coronavirus pandemic.

Al-Quds said Israel has started to build a concrete wall barrier to separate the neighborhoods Sheikh Saad from Sur Baher in East Jerusalem.

K.T./M.K.