RAMALLAH, May 28, 2012 (WAFA) – The focus topic of Monday’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies was the reconciliation talks between delegations from Fatah and Hamas planned in Cairo for Monday night and the Central Elections Commission (CEC) arriving in Gaza earlier Monday to start voter registration process in preparation for national elections.
Al-Quds highlighted a meeting between Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk and Fatah’s Azzam al-Ahmad in Cairo that would set the ground for the formation of the new unity government. The meeting is supposed to follow another meeting in Gaza between CEC chairman Hanna Nasser and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh that would launch the commission’s work in the Strip.
The main headline in al-Ayyam newspaper quoted President Mahmoud Abbas stressing that he wants to see the reconciliation agreement implemented and all obstacles in the way overcome. Abbas made these statements during a meeting with Mohammad Baraka, a lawmaker in the Israeli parliament and head of Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash), and Nazareth mayor Ramez Jarayse.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that two Palestinian prisoners from the Gaza Strip, Mahmoud Sarsik and Akram al-Rikhawi, continue on their hunger strike for the 75th day and for 47th day respectively. It said the Israeli authority has renewed the administrative detention of four members of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Al-Quds featured Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s speech at the launch of a local community project in al-Bireh during which he stressed the importance of giving priority to development projects in East Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley and the importance of conducting local and general elections.
News on the situation in Syria appeared on al-Ayyam’s front page as the daily said the United Nations Security Council condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the killing of more than hundred Syrians, including women and children, in the town of Houla.
The daily printed a picture of protesters raising banners against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Istanbul.
Al-Quds editorial condemned the ongoing Israeli settlers’ attacks targeting Palestinians under the protection of the Israeli army, and denounced an Israeli court decision to renew administrative detention of Palestinians in a blatant breach of the agreement between Israel and the prisoners after they went on hunger strike for a month protesting their administrative detention and calling for better conditions.
R.Q./M.S.
