RAMALLAH, April 26, 2017 (WAFA) – The situation of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails who started last week a mass hunger strike led by senior Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti continued Wednesday to dominate the front page headlines of the Palestinian Arabic dailies.
The dailies reported on the latest developments as the Freedom and Dignity hunger strike, as it has been called, entered its tenth day. They said a number of striking detainees were transferred to hospital after their health condition seriously deteriorated.
The dailies also reported President Mahmoud Abbas pledging to continue efforts at international forums to bring the suffering of the strikers to an end.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida also reported the National Committee to Support Hunger-striking Detainees calling on Palestinians to boycott Israeli products and to observe a general strike on Thursday in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Al-Ayyam added Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians marching in solidarity with hunger strikers near Qalandia checkpoint, north of Jerusalem, hitting and injuring four protesters.
Al-Quds highlighted Palestinian-US officials meetings in Washington saying the Palestinian delegation has briefed US President Donald Trump’s team on agreements as well as Israeli obstacles to resuming the peace process.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam added while Trump’s administration is preparing major cuts in US foreign aid to numerous countries, its plans to increase US funding to the West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip.
They added Israeli forces shot and critically injured a young Palestinian after he allegedly attempted to stab soldiers at Huwwara checkpoint, south of Nablus, in the northern occupied West Bank.
They said Israeli settlers torched 100 olive trees belonging to Palestinians in the village of Beit Ta’mar in the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem.
They added Israeli bulldozers leveled Palestinian land at the entrance of Arraba village in the northern West Bank district of Jenin and demolished multiple Palestinian structures in Nilin in Ramallah district.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported the Israeli occupation authorities have advanced a plan to seize a plot of land and establish a tourists visitors’ center in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras al-Amoud, some 300 meters away from Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
They added authorities have approved a plan to construct 10,000 new settler units in Qalandia, in occupied East Jerusalem.
The dailies said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a meeting with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel after the latter met with representatives of Israeli left-wing groups, Breaking the Silence and B’Tselem.
Al-Quds reported French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron warning against the prompt recognition of the Palestinian state and opposing settlement construction.
The dailies said a bear at Qalqilia zoo in the northern West Bank ripped off the arm of a Palestinian boy who was visiting the zoo on a school trip.
Al-Ayyam said the UK has ruled out an apology to Palestinians for the Balfour Declaration and reported Palestinian ambassador to the UK Manuel Hassassian pledging to sue the UK over the declaration in international courts.
K.F./M.K.
