RAMALLAH, Monday, March 22, 2021 (WAFA) – Launching the Covid-19 mass vaccination campaign in the occupied Palestinian territories dominated the front-page headlines in today’s issue of the three mainstream Palestinian Arabic dailies.
The dailies reported that Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh launched the national Covid-19 mass vaccination campaign in the occupied territories.
Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida added that Shtayyeh inaugurated an intensive care unit at Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah city.
He was also reported in al-Quds stating that the Health Ministry’s teams have participated in administering the inoculation of 105,000 Palestinians who work in Israel or Israeli colonial settlements.
Highlighting the latest daily statistics on the pandemic outbreak, the dailies said that 2,247 Palestinians contracted the virus and 21 others died of it in the occupied territories (the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip) in 24 hours.
Among the 2,247 infections, al-Ayyam said that 493 infections were recorded in Hebron district and 402 others in Nablus district.
The Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ministry was reported in al-Ayyam announcing that eight diaspora Palestinians have contracted the virus.
The dailies said that the Israeli occupation authorities revoked Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Riyad Malki’s VIP permit and subjected his aides to interrogation after they returned to the occupied West Bank from a trip to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam highlighted Israeli media reports on renewed contacts between the Israeli occupation authorities and Hamas to strike a prisoner swap deal.
Furthermore, the dailies said that three Palestinians were forced to tear down their houses in East Jerusalem under the pretext of construction without a permit and to avoid paying high costs and fines if the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem carries out the demolition itself.
They added that Israeli settlers embarked on the opening of a settler-only road on the lands of Kisan village, east of Bethlehem.
Developments regarding holding the general presidential and legislative elections in the occupied territories also hit the front-page headlines in the dailies.
Fatah Secretary-General Jibril Rjoub was reported in al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida saying that Fatah has not consulted with Hamas on reaching a joint electoral list and will instead run for elections on its own.
Al-Ayyam added in this regard that a Fatah Central Committee delegation arrived in Gaza to follow-up on elections’ preparations.
Al-Quds spotlighted Israel Hayom's report titled Facing shortage, Israel strikes deal with PA to buy construction gravel.
It published a feature story for Anadolu Agency about Andalib Hroub, a Palestinian mother, who has not lived safely along with her sons and husband for 20 years due to Israeli army pursuit of her husband and sons all this time.
According to al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida, President Mahmoud Abbas received the president of the Jordanian Independent Elections Commission, Khaled Al-Kalaldeh, at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah.
Regionally, al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported that Jordan announced signing a defense agreement with the United States.
K.F./M.K.
