RAMALLAH, January 25, 2016 (WAFA) – The funeral processions of two Palestinians and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks on Israeli settlers’ takeover of Palestinian homes in Hebron’s Old City hit the front page headlines in Palestinian dailies.
Covering the funeral processions in their main front page news items, al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that the bodies of Muhammad Halabiya and Ruqayya Abu ‘Eid were laid to rest.
Halabiya, 17, from the Jerusalem town of Abu Dis, was killed Saturday night after a pipe bomb in his possession detonated near an Israeli military site. Abu ‘Eid, 13, was shot dead by Israeli forces Saturday morning after she allegedly attempted to stab an Israeli security guard outside the entrance of Anatot settlement, northeast of Jerusalem.
Furthermore, Netanyahu’s remarks on settlers’ forceful takeover of Palestinian homes in Hebron’s Old City were covered by the three dailies.
Al-Quds reported in this regard that the settlers are expected to be allowed into one of the two Palestinian buildings near Ibrahimi Mosque, known to Jews as Cave of the Patriarchs. Netanyahu was reported in al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida as reiterating his government’s support of illegal settlement “at any time”.
He was also reported in al-Ayyam as pledging to allow settlers to ]take possession[ of the two houses “as quickly as possible”. It is worth noting that as many as 80 settlers forcefully took over two Palestinian houses in the heart of Hebron’s Old City a day before they were evicted by Israeli forces.
Furthermore, al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that Israeli forces conducted a raid campaign across Hebron, detaining several Palestinians, including member of the Palestinian Legislative Council Hatem Qufeisheh and former minister ‘Issa al-Ja‘abari.
Al-Quds also reported that Israeli forces stormed several Bethlehem towns and Ad-Duheisheh refugee camp. Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida added in this regard that Israeli forces detained several other Palestinians, including an intelligence officer, purportedly for shooting at Israeli settlers near Tulkarem.
Furthermore, al-Quds reported that the Israeli military intends to revoke the closed military zone status of a number of land plots in the Jordan Valley, supposedly returning the land to their original Palestinian owners.
The three dailies highlighted that Israel demolished two Palestinian family houses in the northern Israeli town of Taybeh purportedly for being built without licences.
President Mahmoud Abbas was reported in al-Quds as calling on the EU to play a greater role commensurate with its economic role in the Middle East peace process, while he was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida as emphasizing the need for the international community to support convening an international Middle East peace conference.
Following its meeting in Manama, the Arab-Indian Cooperation Forum was reported in al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida as having called for convening an international Middle East peace conference and bringing the Israeli occupation to an end.
Following Israeli request for the extradition of 51-year-old Palestinian Omar al-Nayyef Zayed from Bulgaria, Palestinian Ambassador to Bulgaria Ahmad al-Madbouh was reported in al-Ayyam as describing that Zayed’s issue is politically motivated and pledging not to yield to any pressures.
K.F/M.H
