RAMALLAH, October 31, 2011 (WAFA) – The three Palestinian Arabic dailies focused Monday on the escalating situation in Gaza and the Arab League follow-up committee meeting on Sunday.
Al-Ayyam’s prime front page story featured reports on a new calm between the Palestinian factions in Gaza and Israel, following Israeli airstrikes at several areas in the Strip that killed 12 Palestinians since Saturday, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s denial of a valid cease-fire.
Subtitles in al-Quds front page on the same news reported that the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, urged Israel to exercise maximum restraint. The European Union Foreign Affairs Chief, Catherine Ashton’s condemnation of targeting civilians was also featured on the daily front page.
Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida printed pictures of the wailing mourners at the funerals of the killed Palestinians on Sunday.
The Arab League follow-up committee meeting in the Qatari capital Doha on Sunday was the other highlight of all three newspapers, as the committee decided to continue to support the Palestinian statehood membership application to the United Nations Security Council and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The committee will also research alternatives if the Security Council denies the request.
The dailies also featured President Mahmoud Abbas’ address to the follow-up committee, where he stressed the Palestinian persistence to seek UN and UNESCO memberships, and described the Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman’s threats as “extremely dangerous.”
An opinion piece in al-Ayyam newspaper by Talal Okal discussed motives behind the new Israeli military aggression against the Gaza Strip, accusing Netanyahu of working to appeal to ultra-orthodox Israelis, following the release of Palestinian prisoners, by launching a new attack on Gaza.
Okal discussed the Egyptian-sponsored calm between Israel and the Palestinian factions, who abided to the cease-fire to thwart Israel’s attempts to draw the Palestinians into violence.
R.Q./F.J.
