RAMALLAH, April 20, 2017 (WAFA) – The official announcement that President Mahmoud Abbas is going to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington on May 3 was highlighted on the front page of the Thursday issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.

Al-Quds said Israel has intensified contacts with US officials to influence the outcome of the Abbas-Trump meeting.

The prisoners’ hunger strike continued to receive front page coverage in the dailies, which reported on the rallies in the West Bank and Gaza in solidarity with the 1500 striking prisoners.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida said Hamas broke up a gathering at Gaza’s Unknown Soldier Square in support of the striking prisoners and ordered the participants to leave the area.

The dailies also reported on the Israeli army killing of a Palestinian south of Bethlehem following what the army claimed was a car ramming attack and what Palestinians said was a normal road accident.

The papers reported as well on the abduction and beating of Gaza activist Mahmoud al-Ziq. The papers said many accused Hamas of abducting him after he made statements holding Hamas responsible for the electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip. Ziq was later freed and left on a street in Gaza. No one took responsibility for the abduction.

Al-Ayyam said Palestinian political factions in Gaza have called on Hamas to annul the administration it had set up to run Gaza affairs to give a chance for the success of new reconciliation talks.

M.K.