RAMALLAH, Tuesday, June 16, 2020 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas’ tour in Ramallah and the rising COVID-19 cases in the occupied Palestinian territories dominated the front page headlines in the Palestinian Arabic dailies published today.

They said President Abbas walked Ramallah and al-Bireh streets to check on the condition of the public. They also reported him urging the public to comply with safety measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh was reported in the dailies warning that people who violate the coronavirus health measures will be severely penalized.

He was also reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida calling on the international community to recognize the Palestinian state and on the Palestinian factions to achieve national unity.

Highlighting the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the dailies said that 13 new coronavirus cases were recorded in the West Bank districts of Hebron and Bethlehem.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida elaborated that 12 of the cases were recorded in Hebron district and the other in Dar Salah village, east of Bethlehem.

Al-Quds added in this regard that Bethlehem Governor Jibrin al-Bakri placed Dar Salah village under lockdown.

The Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ministry was reported in al-Ayyam announcing that 52 diaspora Palestinians have contracted the virus and five have died due to it.

It was also reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida saying that the number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths among Palestinians in the diaspora has risen to 137.

According to al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida, the Palestinian cabinet introduced a stimulus package to support Jordan Valley farmers in the wake of Israel’s annexation move.

The head of the Qatari Committee for Gaza Reconstruction, Mohammad al-Emadi, was reported in al-Quds saying that efforts were underway to transfer Qatari grants to Gaza.

He was also reported in al-Ayyam denying media reports that arrangements were taken to transfer the Qatari grant to Gaza.

According to al-Quds and al-Ayyam, Israeli jets and tanks pounded several sites in the besieged Gaza Strip in retaliation for alleged rocket fire from the Strip into southern Israel.

Al-Ayyam printed a news analysis suggesting that contacts were underway to contain the possible escalation and gradually stop launching of incendiary balloons onto southern Israel.

Al-Quds said that Israeli forces pursued and injured two Palestinian workers to the west of Jenin.

The dailies said that Israeli occupation authorities demolished two apartments and four stores in the East Jerusalem refugee camp of Shufat.

Al-Quds highlighted US envoy Jason Greenblatt’s allegations that the West Bank is not Palestinian land.

Greenblatt presented his allegations and fabrications in a Jerusalem Post article titled Applying Israeli law in West Bank is not illegal.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam said that Israel has set the tender date for the construction of 1,077 new settler units in the Israeli colonial settlement of Givat Hamatos, south of Jerusalem.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Israeli occupation authorities were advancing the construction of a new ring road that would connect Jewish colonial settlements located to the south and north of Jerusalem.

Khalil Tufakji, a cartographer, was reported in al-Ayyam saying that the construction of this road is intended to consolidate the Greater Jerusalem idea and gradually implement the annexation plan.

Al-Ayyam said that the European Union foreign ministers informed their US counterpart Mark Pompeo about their opposition to Israel’s annexation plan.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the World Bank approved $15 million investment to the Palestinian information technology sector.

K.F./M.K.