RAMALLAH, Tuesday, August 18, 2020 (WAFA) – The killing of a Palestinian young man in the old city of Jerusalem and injuring another a deaf and mute man at a military checkpoint dominated the front page headlines in Tuesday’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.

The dailies reported that Israeli police shot and killed a Palestinian young man near Bab Hutta, one of the gates leading to Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

The 30-year-old man, identified as a resident of Shufat refugee camp, was killed purportedly after he stabbed and injured an Israeli police officer.

The dailies added that Israeli forces shot and injured a disabled man at Qalandia military checkpoint, north of Jerusalem.

The 60-year-old deaf and mute man was shot as he walked the car lane of the checkpoint. Israeli military suspected he had a knife, but later confirmed he was unarmed.

Moreover, the dailies reported that the Palestinian government decided to cancel its participation in the Expo 2020 Dubai in rejection of the UAE agreement to normalize ties with Israel.

Premier Mohammad Shtayyeh was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida stating that the UAE-Israeli normalization agreement was a “clear breach of the Arab consensus”.

He was also reported in al-Quds announcing that the government has approved the disbursement of cash assistance to 1,400 Palestinian merchants in Jerusalem.

He was also reported in al-Ayyam pointing out that the government would focus on employment creation and noting that there were signs of economic recovery.

Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu was reported noting that Israel has suspended the annexation move temporarily at the request of the US, thus refuting the PR stunt that the agreement induced Israel to suspend its annexation move.

He was also reported in al-Quds saying that “Israel would make arrangements for Muslims to access” Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Highlighting more responses to the UAE-Israeli normalization agreement, al-Quds said that national and Islamic forces and figures call on the Arab nation to impose sanctions on UAE.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported Arab popular and partisan actors slamming the normalization agreement as a “breach of trust”.

It reported a member of the European parliament warning that implementing Israel’s annexation move would worsen conflicts and violence in the region.

Al-Ayyam said that more rallies and activities condemning the normalization agreement and calling for restoring intra-Palestinian unity were held in various districts.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported Fatah Central Committee member Jibril Rajoub and Hamas political bureau member Hussam Badran urging Palestinians to participate on the largest scale in the national festival to be held in Turmus Ayya village, east of Ramallah, in protest of the normalization agreement and Israel’s annexation move.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam spotlighted the visit of the Egyptian general intelligence delegation to Gaza.

Al-Quds said in this regard that the delegation discussed brokering a “ceasefire agreement”, while al-Ayyam said that the delegation left Gaza without any progress.

According to al-Quds, dozens of settlers led by former lawmaker Yehuda Glick forced their way into Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam said that Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements will attend the Palestinian leadership’s meeting over UAE-Israeli normalization agreement, scheduled on Tuesday evening.

The dailies covered latest statistics on the novel coronavirus outbreak in the occupied territories and abroad.

They said in this regard that three Palestinians died due to the highly contagious virus in the occupied territories in the last 24 hours.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida added that 456 Palestinians tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours. According to al-Ayyam, 464 confirmed cases were recorded in the last 24 hours.

Among the 456 confirmed cases, al-Quds and al-Ayyam added, 150 cases were recorded in Jerusalem.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, US Congresswoman Betty McCollum introduced the Israeli Annexation Non-Recognition Act to prohibit US funding to Israel’s plan to annex large swaths of the West Bank.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam said that Israeli settlers torched 13 Palestinian vehicles in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Safafa.

They added that Israeli forces cracked on a protest against the confiscation of 700 dunams of land belonging to Shufa and Jabara villages, southeast and east of Tulkarem, injuring a number of protestors.

Al-Ayyam said that a video footage emerged showing Israeli forces beating up workers south of Hebron, prompting the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to call for an international inquiry into the incident.

It printed a feature story titled Palestinians have been making olive oil- soap for1200 years.

The report was based on the discovery of a 1200-year-old olive oil-making workshop inside a wealthy home dating back to the Islamic period in the Bedouin city of Rahat in southern Israel.

K.F.