RAMALLAH, May 31, 2017 (WAFA) – The 2016 annual report of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) marking 50 years of Israeli occupation dominated front page headlines in Palestinian dailies on Wednesday.
Al-Quds reported OCHA stating the Israeli occupation continues to displace Palestinians and that Israel demolished or seized 300 donor-funded structures provided as humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in 2016.
Quoting OCHA’s report, al-Ayyam said a total of 1,600 Palestinians, including 759 children, were displaced due to demolitions of their homes by the Israeli authorities in the West Bank in 2016.
It also said: “Israeli occupation policies and practices remain the key cause of humanitarian needs in the occupied Palestinian territories.”
Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida also highlighted the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Executive Committee meeting in their main front page news items.
They reported the PLO Executive Committee stressing its absolute rejection of transitional solutions, including the so-called state with provisional borders.
Al-Quds reported Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now anticipating the Israeli authorities would approve new settlement plans the next week.
The dailies said President Mahmoud Abbas met with Chinese special envoy Gong Xiaosheng in Ramallah, briefing him on the latest political moves.
They reported the Palestinian cabinet decided to hold supplementary local elections in 66 councils where elections were not held on the regular election day.
The new official statement issued by imprisoned leader and member of the Fatah Central Committee Marwan Barghouti following the suspension of the mass hunger strike also hit the front page headlines.
Al-Ayyam reported Barghouti saying the hunger strike would mark a “turning point” in rebuilding and reunifying the prisoners’ movement.
Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida also reported him emphasizing the battle of freedom and dignity for Palestine is an integral part of the struggle for freedom, independence and return.
The dailies reported Italian Foreign Ministry stating the two-state solution reflects the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said the Palestinian Ministry of Education launched a “Carnival of Freedom” across the West Bank, where students held national sit-ins to commemorate historical moments of the Israeli colonization and occupation of Palestine.
Al-Quds reported Palestinian residents of Burqa village, north of Nablus, they have no intention to cave in to pressure to change the name of the Dalal al-Mughrabi Women’s Community Center.
Finally, al-Hayat al-Jadida reported former International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo labeling Israeli settlement construction a war crime that would lead to the conviction of Israeli leaders.
K.F./M.K.
