RAMALLAH, Wednesday, June 03, 2020 (WAFA) – The meeting of the Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee for Palestine besides to the ongoing demolitions of Palestinian homes and structures dominated the front page headlines in Wednesday’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.

Spotlighting the Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee’s (AHLC) meeting in its main front page news item, al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that the donor countries warned against Israel’s plans to annex parts of the West Bank.

Al-Hayat and al-Ayyam said that the donor countries condemned this Israeli move as “in contravention of international law” and that it would “undermine peace and security in the region”.

Al-Ayyam added in this regard that AHLC affirmed continued support, and expressed concern over increasing tensions between the ]Palestinian and Israeli[ parties.

Premier Mohammad Shtayyeh, who attended the meeting via video conference, was reported in al-Ayyam urging the world to put an end to Israel and prevent it from implementing the annexation plans.

He was also reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida condemning Israel’s annexation move as an “existential threat” to the Palestinian political project and the presence of the Palestinian people in their homeland, and demanding countries to recognize the State of Palestine.

The dailies highlighted the ongoing home demolitions and settlers’ attacks in their front pages.

Al-Ayyam said that Israeli occupation authorities and settlers stepped up their demolitions of Palestinian houses, razzings of Palestinian land and assaults.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that Israeli occupation authorities demolished three houses in the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Silwan and Jabal al-Mukabbir.

Al-Quds said that Israeli forces delivered a military order to demolish a Palestinian house in Deir al-‘Asal al-Fauqa town, west of Hebron.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian house in Burin village, southwest of Nablus, and constructed a settler-only road to the southwest of Nablus city.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli forces rounded up 21 Palestinians in multiple raids across the West Bank.

Focusing on the situation in the Gaza Strip, al-Quds said that Israeli naval forces opened fire towards Gaza fishermen, and military vehicles infiltrated dozens of meters into the besieged coastal enclave.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam said that a Palestinian succumbed to his wounds he sustained from Israeli military gunfire during the borderline Great March of Return protests two years ago.

The dailies said that two Palestinians tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Azzoun village in the northern West Bank district of Qalqilia, raising the total number of confirmed cases since the pandemic outbreak to 630.

The Foreign and Expatriates Ministry was reported in al-Ayyam saying that 13 more Palestinians contracted the virus and another died due to it in the diaspora.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that France contributed €8 million in support to the Palestinian general budget.

Rami Nasrallah, a Palestinian urban planner in Jerusalem, was reported in al-Quds revealing details about an illegal Israeli plan to construct the so-called “East Jerusalem Center”.

Al-Quds printed a news analysis stating that Israel is pressing ahead with its plan to annex 30 percent of the West Bank in July despite all opposite speculations.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that PLO Executive Committee member Azzam al-Ahmad briefed Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov on the current situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

It added that Bodganov reiterated his country’s position in support of the establishment of the independent Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders.

Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki was reported stating that the Palestinian leadership was attempting to utilize international positions to pressurize Israel into not proceeding with the annexation plan.

Al-Ayyam said that Palestinian citizens of Israel continued to stage protests against the extrajudicial executions of Palestinians by Israeli police in the Arab Israeli towns.

Regionally, al-Quds said that Egypt warned against any unilateral moves that would undermine the two-state solution, including Israel’s impending annexation move.

Internationally, al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned Israel’s annexation plans.

Al-Ayyam said that Washington intends to exert efforts to prevent the International Criminal Court (ICC) from investigating Israeli and US crimes.

K.F.