RAMALLAH, December 17, 2015 (WAFA) – The three Palestinian Arabic dailies focused in their Thursday issue on the Israeli army’s fatal shooting of two Palestinian youths, during a crackdown on Qalandia refugee camp, north of Jerusalem.

The dailies said Ahmad Jahajha, 23, and Hekmat Hamdan, 29, were shot dead by Israeli troops and undercover forces who stormed Qalandia refugee camp on Wednesday predawn.

On a different subject, the three dailies said the Israeli Planning and Construction Committee approved the construction of about 891 housing units in the illegal settlement of Gilo, south of Jerusalem.

Al-Ayyam said Israeli authorities have taken over about 680 dunums of Palestinian-owned land to the south of Jerusalem, for the benefit of settlement construction and expansion.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida and al-Ayyam said Israel also decided to take over 102 dunums of land near Bethlehem for “military and security purposes”.

Al-Quds reported that Israel approved the construction of 330 settlement housing units and a yeshiva school in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood district in East Jerusalem.

Al-Ayyam said clashes erupted between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian 'resistance fighters' along the borderline to the east of Khan Younes on Thursday predawn. It said an ensuing Israeli artillery bombing injured three Palestinians in nearby neighborhoods.

Al-Quds said a report by the Washington Post indicated that the US is worried over a potential collapse of the Palestinian Authority.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the recent wave of Palestinian stabbing and running over attacks on Israeli targets is the result of five decades of Israeli occupation.

Al-Ayyam said Israeli authorities at Ashdod airport claimed they thwarted an attempt to smuggle military ordnance, which was destined for Palestinians in Jerusalem.

M.N/M.H