RAMALLAH, January 22, 2012 (WAFA) – The escalated situation in Syria and President Mahmoud Abbas’ visit to Russia dominate Sunday’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.

Al-Ayyam’s main front page story reported from Syria that 62 bodies were found in a hospital, which raised the number of killed Syrians to 100 on Saturday. The headline also reported that the Arab League monitors will extend their observer mission for a month.

The daily also featured further escalation in the country after dissident soldiers took over the city of Douma near Damascus.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida highlighted on its front page that Abbas was awarded the Orthodox People’s Unity Foundation prize, also known as Patriarch Alexis II prize, by the Russian Patriarch Kirill Saturday. The headline quoted Abbas saying he will dedicate the prize to help the Palestinian students in Russia.

The daily printed a picture of Abbas and Kirill during the awarding ceremony in the Russian capital Moscow.

Al-Quds was the only newspaper to focus on Hamas’ statement confirming that its chairman, Khaled Meshaal, has informed the movement of his intention not to run again for the post in the upcoming Hamas general conference.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida featured on its front page the ongoing crisis at Birzeit University that forced the administration to shut down campus, amid mediation efforts to end it and to bring life to the university back to normal.

Al-Quds editorial said the only response to the continuous Israeli arrest campaign targeting Palestinian lawmakers is to hasten the implementation of the reconciliation agreement.

The daily also criticized the international community’s double standards when dealing with Israel and questioned the lack of sanctions imposed against Israel for its continuous violations.

R.Q./F.R.