RAMALLAH, August 1, 2015 (WAFA) – The Burning to death of a Palestinian toddler in the arson attack that was committed by a group of Israeli settlers in the Nablus village of Duma together with official Palestinian and international condemnations hit the front page headlines in Palestinian dailies.

Covering the attack in its main front page headlines, al-Quds reported that some ‘terrorist’ settlers perpetrated a horrific crime in the Nablus village of Duma, burning a toddler and his family. The toddler was burnt to death, while his family, including his parents, and his 4-year-old brother, were seriously injured.

Covering the same issue, al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that ]Israeli[ fires of racism strike once again and elaborated that a toddler was burnt to death, while his parents and brother sustained critical injuries as a result of settlers’ arson attack.

Al-Quds added that thousands of Palestinians took part in the funeral procession of the toddler identified as ‘Ali Dawabsheh.

Both al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported Palestinian Minister of Justice Saleem Saqa as announcing that the results of 18-month-old Ali Dawabsheh’s postmortem report confirmed that he was alive when burnt to death.

In the wake of the arson attack that claimed the toddler’s life, President Mahmoud Abbas was quoted in al-Quds as stating: “The Palestinian people would remain steadfast on their land.”  The Palestinian leadership was reported as holding the Israeli government responsible for the attack.

He was also quoted in al-Ayyam as stating that, this crime is the result of ]continuous Israeli[ settlement policy. It said that Abbas received a phone call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who expressed shock over the ‘heinous crime’, describing it as a terrorist act.

Abbas was also reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida as expressing doubt that the Israeli government would bring the Israeli settlers suspected of perpetrating this crime to justice.

Also covering official Palestinian response to the killing of the toddler, al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported that Palestinian leadership has decided to prepare and submit a file of settlers’ crimes, particularly the arson attack the claimed the toddler’s life, to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the Palestinian leadership has decided to implement Fatah Central Council’s resolutions on defining relations with Israel.

Al-Ayyam reported Palestinian security services as vowing to pursue the Israeli settlers who perpetrated terrorist crimes against Palestinians, including the perpetrators of the aforementioned crime.

It also reported Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN Riyad Mansour as stating: “the UN Security Council has to assume its responsibilities and bring Israeli crimes to an end.”

Furthermore, the three dailies covered the wide-ranging official Arab and international condemnations of the attack.

Highlighting US condemnation of the attack, al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported that the US denounced the attack and described as a savage terrorist act.

Highlighting EU’s condemnation of the attack, al-Quds reported the EU slamming the attack as a “cold-blooded killing” and calling for taking ‘resolute’ measures against perpetrators.

Highlighting official Israeli condemnations of the attack, al-Ayyam reported Israeli forces condemning it as “Jewish terrorism”.

It also reported UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as strongly condening the burning to death of a Palestinian toddler, stating that, “Continued failures to effectively address impunity for repeated acts of settler violence have led to another horrific incident involving the death of an innocent life.”

Furthermore, al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that Israel has announced tenders for the construction of  91 new settler units in East Jerusalem.

Covering other Israeli forces and settlers’ attacks against the Palestinian people in West Bank and Gaza, the three dailies reported that Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian and wounded another in northern Gaza Strip.

Al-Ayyam reported that dozens of Palestinians suffocated from tear gas and were injured as israeli forces violently suppressed peaceful anti-wall and settlements demonstrations across the West Bank.

 K.F./T.R.