RAMALLAH, Wednesday, October 28, 2020 (WAFA) – Israeli plans to approve the construction of colonial settler units in the heart of Hebron city dominated the front page headlines in Wednesday’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.
Al-Quds reported that the Israeli occupation authorities are advancing two settlement construction plans that would double the number of settlers in Hebron city.
Al-Ayyam said that the occupation authorities are set to approve the construction of 31 new colonial settler units at the old bus station, known in Arabic as al-Karaj, in the heart of Hebron city.
Al-Quds said that Peace Now, which made the revelation in a report titled State hurriedly issues permit for 31 settlement units in Hebron ahead of US election, linked the timing of the approval to the impending US presidential elections.
Peace Now was also reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida slamming the move as “an unscrupulous act that threatens Israel’s national interest and relations on the world stage.”
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam revealed that the Israeli occupation authorities advanced a plan targeting the Jaffa Gate as the entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem.
According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, 18 Israeli parliamentarians signed a bill calling for the revocation of Israeli citizenship or residency from any Palestinian citizen of Israel who receives a salary from the Palestinian government.
Al-Quds noted that the bill targets the families of slain Palestinians and prisoners in Jerusalem and Israel.
The situation of Maher al-Akhras, a 49-year-old father of six children who has been on hunger strike for 93 days in protest of his administrative detention without charge or trial.
The dailies highlighted rallies were organized in solidarity with al-Akhras across the occupied Palestinian territories (West Bank and Gaza), Palestinian cities inside Israel (Haifa) and across some Arab countries (Algeria).
Al-Akhras was reported in al-Ayyam pledging to continue his open-ended hunger strike until his release.
Al-Quds spotlighted B'Tselem’s new position paper With or without flights to Abu Dhabi, Israel annexed the West Bank long ago.
The ongoing demolitions of Palestinian structures also hit the front page headlines in the dailies.
Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the Israeli occupation authorities demolished a Palestinian-owned building in the Shufat refugee camp, northeast of Jerusalem city, besides to a house and a nursery in Hebron district.
They added that Israeli forces stormed and took measurements of a mosque in Bir al-Basha village, southwest of Jenin city.
According to al-Quds, Israeli forces rounded up 22 Palestinians in multiple West Bank raids.
It said that the US declared the Arab Peace Initiative as null and void.
This came as US ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft announced that the Arab Peace Initiative is no longer necessary.
The dailies said that 576 Palestinians contracted the novel coronavirus and four others, including a child, died of it in the occupied territories.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam added that 30 confirmed cases and one fatality were recorded in East Jerusalem.
Al-Ayyam added that the new cases were announced as a slight surge was reported in the number of active cases.
According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Deputy Chairman of Fatah Mahmoud al-Aloul extended his condolences to the family of Amer Abdul-Rahim Snobar on behalf of President Mahmoud Abbas.
Snobar, an 18-year-old resident of the Nablus-district village of Yatma, was severely beaten by Israeli forces to death near the Ramallah-district town of Turmus-Ayya.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Palestine welcomed the international consensus on President Abbas’ proposal to hold an international peace conference at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
It said that the European Union (EU) renewed its commitment to its common position towards achieving the two-state solution.
It said that the Islamic Bank of Development signed an agreement with the Palestinian Economic Council for Development & Reconstruction (PECDAR) in support of the health sector.
Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the Health Ministry received a donation of 50 ventilators from the German Representative Office.
Spokesman for the Interior Ministry Ghassan Nimer was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida warning against some people who assume the identity of the ministry to collect donations on the pretext they are intended for prisoners and needy families.
Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology Ishac Sidr was reported stating that the Palestinian companies have suffered USD$ 1.1 billion in losses due to Israeli violations and infringements upon the Palestinian telecommunication sector.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the Nour Jenin Solar Power Plant was inaugurated with a productive capacity of 5 megawatts in Kafr Dan town, northwest of Jenin.
K.F.
