RAMALLAH, July 15, 2017 (WAFA) – Developments in Jerusalem’s Old City and the Israeli closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslim Friday prayers, a first since 1969, were the highlight of the Saturday issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies published in the occupied territories.
The main headline in al-Hayat al-Jadida said: “In a precedent, Israel shuts down Al-Aqsa following the martyrdom of three men from Umm al-Fahm and the killing of two occupation policemen.”
The other two papers, al-Quds and al-Ayyam, had more or less similar front page headline summing up the developments in Jerusalem on Friday morning.
The three papers highlighted Palestinian, Arab and Muslim reaction to the closure of one of Islam’s holiest sites for prayer on a Friday, the Muslim holy day.
They said Palestinian Muslims held the Friday prayer in the streets of Jerusalem outside the Old City wall after they were banned from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque.
They also said Israeli police arrested the Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, and held him for several hours for calling on Muslim to come to pray at the mosque and for insisting to enter it.
Al-Ayyam interviewed Sheikh Hussein following his release from detention, who said that he was first accompanied by a police officer inside the mosque compound where a group of police officers grabbed him and pushed him inside a police car and took away to the Russian compound detention center in West Jerusalem where he was interrogated for five hours about the mosque before he was released on $2800 bail.
The three papers said President Mahmoud Abbas had condemned the attack and the closure of the mosque, saying he telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to condemn both the attack and the mosque closure. Abbas also called the King of Jordan asking him to intervene with Israel to force reopening of the mosque for Muslim prayers in his capacity as custodian of the Muslim holy places in occupied Jerusalem.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida quoted the Arab Higher Committee in Israel warning against Israel using the fact that the three Jerusalem attackers were from Umm al-Fahm while the two dead policemen were Arab Druze to incite for internal strife among Palestinians in Israel.
In addition to the developments in Jerusalem, the papers also highlighted the Israeli army killing of a Palestinian in Deheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem during early morning clashes following an army raid of the camp to arrest activists.
They also reported on the peaceful weekly anti-settlements, anti-wall protests in several West Bank locations, which are usually violently dispersed by the Israeli army.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida said Hamas in Gaza summoned a cartoonist and others for questioning regarding posts they had on social media.
It also said in another story that the electricity problem in Jenin is over following the opening of the new power supply station in the city.
Al-Quds said the Ministry of Health gave testimonies in Amman, Jordan to a special United Nations fact finding mission on Israeli violations against the health sector in the occupied territories.
It said in a different story that Fatah is expected to name on Saturday a new leadership command in Gaza.
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