RAMALLAH, May 5, 2017 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas’ remarks on his meeting with US counterpart Donald Trump hit the front page headlines in local Palestinian dailies.
Al-Quds said following a “productive” and “in-depth” meeting, Abbas expressed his appreciation for Trump and his belief that “peace was within reach”.
Al-Ayyam reported Abbas stating his meeting with Trump was “positive and important” and that he was awaiting for Trump to present a mechanism on how to start.
Abbas was also reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida stating Trump was enthusiastic about peace and that he had a vision for a political solution.
The mass open-ended hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails also dominated the front page headlines in the dailies.
In this regard, al-Quds and al-Ayyam said as the hunger strike entered 19th day, Israeli Prison Service (IPS) transferred all 41 hunger-striking prisoners from Ashkelon prison to Ohalei Keidar prison in the Naqab desert.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported Abbas holding Israel full responsible for any injury or damage caused to hunger strikers.
It added Israel has asked Israeli hospitals to be on the alert to receive hunger strikers and was mulling bringing in foreign doctors to force-feed hunger strikers.
Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said in this regard the Arab League called on the United Nations (UN) to open an international inquiry into Israeli violations against Palestinian hunger-striking prisoners in Israeli jails.
Al-Ayyam added five Palestinians were injured and scores of others suffocated as Israeli forces attacked rallies in solidarity with hunger strikers.
The dailies also covered Israeli forces’ assaults against Palestinians across the West Bank.
In this regard, al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said Israeli forces fired live bullets and tear gas canisters inside Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah, causing many patients, including children, to suffocate from tear gas and threatening the lives of 256 patients.
The dailies said Israeli bulldozers carried out a spate of demolitions of Palestinian homes in the Bethlehem-district village of al-Walaja as well as the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of al-Tur, Issawiya and Sur Baher.
Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida also said a total of 12 Palestinians were detained by Israeli troops during multiple predawn raids across the West Bank.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is scheduled to visit the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) on Tuesday May 9.
The dailies said Trump announced his first visit as president would include stops in Israel, the oPt, Saudi Arabia and the Vatican.
K.F.
