RAMALLAH, Thursday, June 25, 2020 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas’ remarks during the virtual meeting of the Arab Parliament dominated the front page headlines in the dailies.

Abbas was reported in the dailies warning that if implemented, Israel’s annexation plan would entail that Israel assumes its responsibilities for the occupied territories ]in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention[.

He was also reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida announcing: “We have received assurances from all Arab countries that they are committed to the Arab Peace Initiative.”

He was also reported expressing his readiness “to go to an international peace conference, and work through a multilateral mechanism to sponsor negotiations ]on the basis of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative[.”

The dailies added in this regard that the Arab Parliament stressed its support for cutting all forms of ties with Israel.

The surge in the coronavirus pandemic in the occupied Palestinian territories hit the front page headlines.

The dailies said that 159 new novel coronavirus cases were confirmed in one day, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 1,517.

Among the 159 cases recorded yesterday, there were 128 cases in the southern West Bank district of Hebron.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam highlighted the Islamic Waqf and Religious Affairs Ministry’s decision to suspend the Friday prayers and sermon in all mosques on upcoming Friday.

President Abbas was reported in the dailies urging all citizens to comply with all the set of precautionary measures prescribed by the government.

Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ministry was reported in al-Ayyam confirming that four more Palestinians contracted the virus and another died due to it in the diaspora.

According to al-Quds, an Israeli court has refused to hear the appeal submitted by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem against settlers.

The appeal is concerned with the illegal acquisition by the Ateret Cohanim Israeli settler group of three strategically located properties in Jerusalem’s Old City.

The assets include the Petra and Imperial hotels overlooking the Omar Bin al-Khattab Square near Jaffa Gate and a plot of land that includes a building known as al-Muadamiya, located near Bab Hutta in Jerusalem’s Old City.

The dailies highlighted the Palestinian cabinet’s meeting at Fasayel village in the Jordan Valley.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida elaborated that member of the PLO Executive Committee, Fatah Central Committee and the cabinet ministers convened at the village in protest of Israel’s annexation move.

The dailies added that Premier Mohammad Shtayyeh has offerd an aid package to Palestinians living in the Jordan Valley to reinforce their steadfastness.

Moreover, the dailies said that Israeli occupation authorities demolished three Palestinian houses in the West Bank.

 One house was demolished in Beitunia town, west of Ramallah, another in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina and the third in Beit Sira village, west of Ramallah.

Al-Quds said that Israeli forces conducted large-scale detention raids across the West Bank, detaining at least 22 Palestinians, including former prisoners.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Israeli settlers seized dozens of dunams of land belonging to the East Jerusalemn neighborhood of al-Issawiya.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli forces cut down dozens of olive trees belonging to Bardala village in the northern Jordan Valley.

The dailies said that the United Nations Security Council unanimously rejected Israel’s illegal plan to annex large swaths of the West Bank.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida added that the international community reiterated its opposition and rejection to the annexation plan and warned against the consequences of implementing it.

Furthermore, the dailies said that 1,080 European lawmakers urged their leaders to step in and stop Israel’s annexation move.

Mustafa Abu Zahara, an angineer who heads the Committee for the Preservation of Palestinian Islamic Cemeteries in Jerusalem, was reported in al-Quds revealing that Israeli police destroyed stone plaques documenting Turkey’s contribution to restoration works to the walls of al-Yusufiyah Cemetery.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Palestine supports an international initiative to defend the International Criminal Court (ICC) against US threats.

It said that Fatah has launched a global campaign to counter Israel’s colonial annexation move.

It also reported the World Evangelical Alliance warning that Israel’s annexation move “risks ending any hope for a negotiated peace agreement”.

K.F.