RAMALLAH, February 27, 2017 (WAFA) – Israeli raids into two Palestinian schools as well as the French parliamentarians’ letter urging recognition of Palestinian state hit the front page headlines in the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam said Israeli forces raided two Palestinian schools in the Bethlehem district town of Tuqu and the Old City of Hebron, assaulting students and teachers.

Al-Quds reported on French parliamentarians who signed an open letter to outgoing French President Francois Hollande, urging him to officially recognize the state of Palestine.

President Mahmud Abbas was reported in al-Ayyam as expressing his hopes that Hollande would respond to 154 parliamentarians’ request that he officially recognize the state of Palestine.

Al-Quds reported on an Israeli bill to enforce the so-called “Regularization Law” to Palestinian agricultural lands harvested by settlers who took over the land by force. 

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida also highlighted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks during his meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

He said Israel should maintain security control over the West Bank, while the Palestinian Authority’s power should be ed as a condition for solution.  

Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said if Hamas refuses to allow the unity government to hold local municipal elections on time, elections would be held in the West Bank and postponed in the Gaza Strip.

Al-Ayyam said Israeli forces detained five Palestinians in predawn raids across the West Bank.

Highlighting escalating tensions in Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, al-Ayyam said landslides were detected in the Baydoun neighborhood, south of the mosque compound, as a result of Israeli digging works.

Al-Quds reported on Israel which demanded the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) to fire Gaza staffer allegedly for being elected to Hamas politburo.

Al-Ayyam said Palestinians, notably the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Committee and Palestine Prisoner’s Society (PPS), called for boycotting Israeli military courts and the case of Abdel Fattah al-Sharif to be referred to the ICC.

Al-Ayyam said 97% of water in the Gaza Strip is contaminated and serious illnesses are spreading rapidly.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported on Abbas as calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) to support and expand Nahr al-Bared hospital and establish Khaled al-Hasan Cancer Treatment Center.

It said the Fatah movement slammed the Popular Conference of Palestinians Abroad, held in Istanbul, as being intended to circumvent and undermine the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

K.F/M.H