RAMALLAH, Wednesday, August 12, 2020 (WAFA) – The ongoing demolitions of Palestinian homes and infrastructure besides to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the occupied Palestinian territories dominated the front page headlines in Wednesday’s issue of the dailies.

Al-Quds reported that Israeli occupation authorities stepped up their attacks in the West Bank, demolishing five houses in Jerusalem.

Al-Ayyam reported in this regard that Israeli occupation authorities demolished a residential building in Jerusalem purportedly for being built without a license, displacing 25 people.

Al-Quds added that Israeli forces uprooted 100 olive trees in Wadi Rahhal village, south of Bethlehem.

Moreover, the dailies reported the Health Ministry announcing three fatalities and 476 confirmed coronavirus cases in the occupied territories in the last 24 hours.

Among the 476 cases, al-Ayyam and al-Quds elaborated, 190 cases were recorded in East Jerusalem.

Al-Ayyam also reported the ministry confirming that 345 COVID-19 patients recovered in the last 24 hours.

The Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ministry was reported in al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida announcing that ten Palestinians contracted the virus and another died of it in the last 24 hours in the diaspora.

It was also reported in al-Quds confirming that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and fatalities among Palestinians in the diaspora increased to 4,187 and 210 respectively.

Al-Ayyam said that a Palestinian died due to the highly contagious virus and 11 other contracted it in refugee camps in Lebanon.

Additionally, the dailies reported Russian President Vladimir Putin stating that his country has developed and approved the world’s first vaccine against coronavavirus, named Sputnik-V.

They added in this regard that President Mahmoud Abbas congratulated Putin on the vaccine development and approval and expressing his hopes that Palestine would be one of the first countries to receive the vaccine.

Highlighting the situation in Gaza, al-Quds that incendiary balloons launched from the besieged strip sparked a wave of fires in southern Israel.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida said in this regard that the Israeli occupation authorities threatened Gaza with a forceful attack.

Al-Ayyam added that Egyptian and United Nations-sponsored contacts were underway to contain the escalation resulting from the balloons launching and Israeli threats to attack Gaza.

According to al-Quds, Rafah border crossing is now open in both directions following a five-month closure.

It said that the Department of Islamic Endowments (Waqf) in Jerusalem decided to raise the alert level on Fridays and congregate prayers at Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as 166 settlers barged their way to the site.

It also reported that the Israeli occupation authorities are carrying out systematic attempts to annex part of Hebron’s Old City to the colonial settlement of Kiryat Arba.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Italy contributed 6.8 million to core UNRWA programs and services.

It also reported that the occupation authorities withheld two Palestinian farmers, in their 70s, for several hours on farmlands isolated by the section of Israel’s apartheid wall in Az-Zawiya town, west of Salfit.

It said that Palestinian protestors urged European intervention to secure the release of the coordinator of the Palestinian-led boycott movement against Israel, Mahmoud Nawajaa.

The protestors rallied outside the German diplomatic office in Ramallah.

Finally, al-Ayyam printed a news analysis shedding light on concerns over delay in the start of the school year due to coronavirus pandemic.

K.F.