RAMALLAH, October 1, 2016 (WAFA) – The killing of a Palestinian by Israeli forces at Qalandia checkpoint, north of Jerusalem, following an alleged stabbing attack hit the front page headlines in Palestinian dailies on Saturday.
The three dailies said Israeli forces shot dead Naseem Abu Meizar, 28, a resident of the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Kufr Aqab after he allegedly stabbed a soldier at the checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah.
Abu Meizar is the seventh Palestinian shot and killed in a new wave of alleged stabbing attacks in East Jerusalem and the West Bank in three weeks. A Jordanian citizen was the first to be shot and killed during an attack outside Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate.
The dailies also highlighted President Mahmoud Abbas’ attendance of the funeral of former Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem.
The three dailies said Abbas met with his French counterpart, François Hollande, on the sidelines of the funeral.
Al-Ayyam said Abbas and Hollande agreed to step up preparations for the planned international Middle East peace conference.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida and al-Ayyam reported US President Barack Obama stating during Peres’ eulogy that Abbas’ attendance of the funeral was a reminder of the “unfinished business of peace.”
Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported Hollande as stating that Abbas’ attendance of the funeral sent the message that peace won’t be lost as long as we struggle for it.
The paper also printed reports and interviews defending Abbas’ attendance of Peres’ funeral and attacking critics, such as Hamas. It quoted Fatah spokesman Usama Qawasmi saying that while Hamas has divided the country and the people when it took over power in Gaza in 2006 therefore serving Israel’s interest, Abbas did everything in his power to promote Palestinian national interest at the United Nations and the world at large and had made great leap forward in this regard.
Commentators in the paper said Abbas had actually embarrassed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the right wing in Israel in this attendance of the funeral, which served Palestinian interest.
Al-Ayyam said General Majid Faraj, the head of the Palestinian intelligence, was moderately injured in a car accident in Ramallah. Al-Hayat al-Jadida said Abbas visited Faraj in hospital to check on his health.
The dailies also covered the final statement of the 17th session of Fatah Revolutionary Council held in Ramallah over three days.
They said the council stressed the importance of holding the seventh Fatah congress describing it as a “national necessity.”
Al-Quds said the council stated that ending the Israeli occupation in 2017 would serve world peace and security.
Highlighting the weekly Friday demonstrations along Gaza border with Israel, al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said five Palestinians were injured during clashes with Israeli forces.
They said several other Palestinians were detained as Israeli forces quelled the protests in the West Bank.
K.F./M.A.
