RAMALLAH, Wednesday, November 4, 2020 (WAFA) – The US presidential elections and the tight presidential race between incumbent Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden hit the front page headlines in Wednesday’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.

Al-Quds reported: US citizens are casting their votes to elect a new president. Polls indicate that Biden is ahead with surprises still expected.

Al-Ayyam said in this regard that the Americans are anticipating the outcomes of the heated presidential elections amid a call for patience as votes are counted.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the Americans are voting for their new president against the backdrop of a sharp division.

The dailies reported that the Palestinian Presidency condemned the terrorist attack in Vienna, Austria.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Austria awarded Osama Joudeh, a Palestinian, a medal in recognition of his courage in saving the life of a Austrian police officer in the attack.

Ongoing demolitions of Palestinian homes and settlers attacks across the west Bank also hit the front page headlines.

Al-Quds reported that the Israeli occupation authorities demolished scores of Palestinian-owned residential structures and facilities, seized vehicles and other properties and ordered 15 families to leave their homes across the West Bank.

Al-Ayyam elaborated that the occupation authorities conducted the largest demolitions in the Jordan Valley, with al-Hayat al-Jadida noting that Israeli forces tore down dozens of structures and seized  vehicles and solar panels in the Jordan Valley.

Al-Ayyam added that the occupation authorities demolished Palestinian-owned structures and leveled land in the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Beit Hanina and Jabal al-Mukabbir.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported that Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh condemned the Israel’s demolitions of Palestinian houses and called for international intervention to end them.

The dailies said that Israeli settlers chopped down dozens of olive trees in Jalud and Einabus villages, south of Nablus city.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida added that settlers closed Nablus-Jenin road and pelted Palestinian vehicles traveling along it with stones.

They added that two Palestinians sustained injuries after being attacked by settlers near Silat al-Harithiya town, south of Jenin.

The case of Maher al-Akhras, 49-year-old father of six who has been on hunger strike for 101 days in protest of his arbitrary administrative detention without charge or trial, also hit the front page headlines.

Al-Quds said that al-Akhras is facing an Israeli judicial order to execute and liquidate him, referring to the Israeli court’s decision not to release him.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida highlighted rising warnings calling for saving al-Khras.

The dailies said that the number of Palestinian prisoners infected with Covid-19 in Gilboa detention facility in northern Israel rose to 73.

Al-Ayyam elaborated that the total confirmed cases among prisoners rose following the detention of 61 new cases, with al-Quds warning that the number of confirmed cases is expected to rise.

Spotlighting the spread of the pandemic in the occupied Palestinian territories, the dailies reported Health Minister Mai al-Kaileh announcing that 633 Palestinians tested positive for the virus and eight others died of it.

She was also reported in al-Ayyam saying that the total active cases account for 11.1 percent.

Among the new confirmed cases, 52 cases were recorded in East Jerusalem, as reported in al-Quds and al-Ayyam.

They added that a Palestinian Covid-19 patient died in Brazil and that seven new cases were detected among Palestinians in the Diaspora.

The dailies said that President Mahmoud Abbas issued a presidential decree extending the state of emergency for 30 days.

They added that Abbas expressed his condolences for the death of Jordanian lawmaker Yahya Al-Saud, who served as the Chairman of the Parliament’s Palestine Committee.

Furthermore, al-Quds printed a news analysis arguing that the delay of the meeting of the heads of Palestinian factions and not issuing a presidential decree on elections stir public concern.

Shtayyeh was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida expressing appreciation of what he described as Saudi Arabia’s firm positions in support of the Palestinian question and the Palestinian people’s national rights in various forums.

He made his remarks as he handed the Palestinian Civil Defense Service eight new firefighter vehicles donated by Saudi Arabia.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Finance Minister Shukri Bishara met the EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process Susanna Terstal.

US Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris was reported in al-Ayyam stating that Biden “will take immediate steps” to restore economic and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people should he win the elections.

K.F.