RAMALLAH, July 22, 2020 (WAFA) – The surge of the novel coronavirus cases in the occupied Palestinian territories dominated the front page headlines in Wednesday’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.

The dailies reported that a Palestinian man from Beit Ummar town, northwest of Hebron, died due to the highly contagious virus.

They also reported that 403 Palestinians tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours. According to al-Ayyam, the cases totaled 404.

They also reported that Jericho district and Balata in Nablus city have been placed under lockdown over the surge in the coronavirus cases.

Health Minister Mai al-Kaileh was reported in al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida warning that the third wave of the pandemic would be tougher if Palestinians fail to comply with the precautionary measures.

She was reported in al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida stating that Palestine has not lost control of the pandemic situation though and voicing her expectations that the pandemic would further spread with the returns of thousands of Palestinian workers from Israel.

According to al-Quds and al-Ayyam, 186 new coronavirus cases were recorded in the last 24 hours in East Jerusalem.

The latest spate of demolitions of Palestinian property hit the front page headlines in the dailies.

Al-Quds said that Israeli occupation authorities demolished five Palestinian houses and structures in Salfit and Hebron district.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida elaborated that Israel demolished a house in Qarawet Bani Hassan town, west Salfit city, two tin-sheet structures in Birin, one of the localities comprising Bani Naim town, east of Hebron city, and a carwash shop in Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam added that Israeli forces delivered military demolition orders in Hebron district.

Spotlighting settlers’ attacks, al-Quds and al-Ayyam said that settlers torched hundreds of trees in Burin and Madama villages, south of Nablus.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida elaborated that over 200 olive trees were uprooted in Deir Istiya village, west of Salfit.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli troops rounded up six Palestinians, including a father and his son, in several raids across the West Bank.

Furthermore, al-Quds and al-Ayyam highlighted media reports revealing that 525 dunams of land seized from the Bethlehem-district village of Nahalin were registered as property of the Jewish National Fund (JNF).

While the JNF is recognized as an environmental charity in dozens of western states, it has worked for many decades to advance Zionist settler-colonialism of Palestine and, by extension, the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people from their homeland.

Al-Quds spotlighted the Palestinian cabinet’s efforts to address the economic impacts following the coronavirus pandemic in Jerusalem.

It said that the cabinet has allocated USD 1.4 million in urgent financial support to 1,400 Palestinian merchants in Jerusalem.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam said that former Israeli lawmaker Yehuda Glick together with 140 settlers barged their way into Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee Saeb Erekat was reported in al-Quds stating that Israel’s annexation plan has not been suspended, and what is missing for the Palestinians is ending their division and reinforcing their national unity and political partnership.

He was also reported in al-Ayyam reiterating that implementing Israel’s annexation move means the termination of the Palestinian Authority (PA).

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Premier Mohammad Shtayyeh and UN envoy Nickolay Maldenov discussed the possibility of a UN intervention to organize the return of Palestinian workers from Israel during the upcoming Islamic feast.

Regionally, Jordanian Premier Omar Razzaz was reported stating that his country would positively view the creation of a bi-national state, i.e. the one-state solution, if Israel proceeds with the annexation plan and closes the door to the two-state solution.

He was also reported saying that Israel’s annexation move turns Israel into an apartheid state.

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida reiterating that implementing the annexation move would undermine the two-state solution.

Moreover, Chinese ambassador to Palestine Guo Wei was reported in al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida reiterating his country’s consistent position on supporting the just Palestinian demands.

According to al-Quds, hundreds of Palestinians rallied against the US-touted Mideast plan, dubbed deal of the century, and Israel’s annexation move to the east of Gaza.

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell was reported in al-Ayyam stating that EU-Israel relations could ne be developed should Israel implements its illegal annexation move.

Al-Ayyam highlighted Xinhua’s feature Under-equipped Palestinian doctors strive to save lives in Hebron amid coronavirus outbreak.

K.F.