RAMALLAH, March 15, 2012 (WAFA) – The conflict in Gaza and the back and forth sporadic exchange of fire between Gaza fighters and Israel continued to dominate the headlines in the local Arabic dailies.

Thursday’s top headlines of al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida focused on the seemingly unending Gaza conflict. Armed groups keep firing missiles at Israel and the Israeli air force retaliates with airstrikes on Gaza.

Al-Quds also highlighted this issue, but its main front page headline was on a report by B’Tselem on Israeli government turning hundreds of thousands of dunums of land in the West Bank into state land as a prelude to doing whatever it wants with the land.

The B’Tselem report was also highlighted on the front pages of al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida, but with less prominence than their sister paper, al-Quds.

Other reports featured on the front pages of the dailies had to do with the reconciliation efforts.

Al-Ayyam highlighted a report from Ma’an news agency quoting Hamas officials as saying they do not expect to conclude reconciliation deal this year.

The paper also quoted Palestinian sources as saying that President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal are going to meet next week in Cairo. It said a top Fatah-Hamas meeting held in Cairo on Wednesday set up the summit meeting for next week.

A report by the World Bank on the financial situation of the Palestinian Authority was also highlighted on the front page of the dailies.

The situation in Syria received front page coverage of the dailies.

M.S.