RAMALLAH, Wednesday, December 09, 2020 (WAFA) – The unabated demolitions of Palestinian property besides to the escalating coronavirus crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories dominated the front page headlines in Thursday’s issue of the Palestinian dailies.

Al-Ayyam said that the Israeli occupation authorities launched a large-scale demolition and land-razing operation in the occupied territories.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the occupation authorities demolished 12 Palestinian structures and homes in the West Bank districts of Jericho, Hebron, and Ramallah, and razed a plot of farmland to the east of Qalandia village, north of Jerusalem.

Al-Ayyam printed a photo for Israeli forces using a crane to dismantle structures in Jericho district.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida printed a feature story on the demolition in Jericho district, showing that 44 Palestinians were displaced in the demolition of their houses in Shalal al-Auja community, north of Jericho.

Moving to the Covid-19 crisis, the dailies said that 1,595 Palestinians tested positive for the virus and 19 others died of it in the occupied territories (the West Bank and Gaza).

Al-Quds added that 1,429 Covid-19 patients recovered from the pandemic.

Health Minister Mai al-Kaileh was reported in al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida describing the situation as “very dangerous” due to the rapidly growing infection rate.

On the other hand, al-Quds opted to highlight explosive Israeli colonial settlement construction deep into the West Bank as its main front page story.

It said that the Israeli occupation authorities seized thousands of dunams of Palestinian land, cutting a wide berth around Palestinian towns and villages and undermining their economy.

It described the construction of colonial settlements as being advanced at a large scale across the occupied territories as the occupation authorities advanced new construction plans until the year 2045.

It elaborated that the new plans involve the construction of dozens of settler-only bypass roads across the West Bank to connect the colonial settlements with Israel and facilitate increasing the settler population to 1 million.

Moreover, the dailies spotlighted the visit of a delegation of European diplomats to the besieged Gaza Strip to check on the humanitarian and health conditions in the enclave.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the EU delegation obtained first-hand impression about the catastrophic conditions in the strip and affirmed its efforts to secure Covid-19 vaccines to Gaza population.

The delegation was reported in al-Ayyam stating that Gaza is an integral part of Palestine and its population are entitled to dignified life.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli forces rounded up 16 Palestinians in multiple West Bank raids.

It added that Israeli forces prevented Palestinian farmers from accessing their lands and teachers from reaching their school, south of Hebron.

It also reported that two complaints were submitted to the United Nations over the targeting of Palestinian journalists by the Israeli occupation authorities.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida also reported Defense for Children International Palestine (DCI-Palestine) affirming that the Israeli occupation forces Ruger rifle bullets against Palestinian children is deadly.

Regionally, al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Saudi Arabia reiterated its firm stance on the Palestinian question.

Al-Ayyam elaborated that the Saudi Council of Ministers describing the Palestinian question as a fundamental Arab issue.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the Russian ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rodakov reaffirming his country’s stand in support of the Palestinian people’s rights.

K.F.