RAMALLAH, August 3, 2017 (WAFA) – Lingering tensions over Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem following two weeks of protests against Israeli measures at the mosque compound hit the front page headlines in Palestinian Arabic dailies on Thursday.

The dailies reported leading Islamic figures in Jerusalem warned against ongoing Israeli interference in Al-Aqsa Mosque affairs.

Al-Ayyam reported leading Muslim figures stating Israel’s persistent interference in the mosque affairs “would take things back to the crisis situation.”

Al-Quds added in this regard that Israeli Jews continued to force their way into the mosque compound as police barred more 180 Waqf-appointed personnel from the mosque compound.

The dailies added King Abdallah of Jordan donated $1.4 million to the Islamic Museum at the mosque compound.

The dailies also reported Israeli occupation authorities delivered demolition notices for 13 Palestinian homes in the Bethlehem-district town of al-Walaja in the southern West Bank.

Al-Quds added Israeli forces detained at least 19 Palestinians, including a lawmaker, in multiple overnight raids across the West Bank.

It also reported Israeli forces raided an inspection office in the old section of Hebron, detaining staff members and confiscating equipment and documents.

It explained the raid came as part of a set of punitive measures Israel has taken against the Palestinian Authority after the latter decided to halt security coordination with Israel.

The office was reportedly opened to deal with increased violence, especially family disputes among local Palestinians.

The dailies also reported Israeli police detained a Palestinian after he purportedly stabbed an Israeli man in the central Israeli city of Yavne.

The Palestinian man was reportedly identified as Ismail Abu Aram, 19, from the Hebron-district village of Yatta.

Al-Ayyam added Israeli forces detained a Palestinian girl after she allegedly attempted to stab soldiers to the south of Bethlehem and opened fire at a Palestinian-registered vehicle near Qalandiya military checkpoint, north of Jerusalem.

Furthermore, al-Quds reported some Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) factions refused to participate in the community reconciliation committee set up by Hamas and sacked Fatah leader Muhammad Dahlan.

It added President Mahmoud Abbas met with a Hamas delegation headed by Nasser al-Din al-Shaer to discuss efforts to achieve national reconciliation.

The dailies added Israel has completed the construction of 42-km section of the apartheid wall to the south of Hebron.

Al-Quds reported in his first press conference since he assumed office, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson failed to mention the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and raised the issue of withdrawing the portfolio of the peace process from the State Department.

Referring to a report by Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, al-Ayyam said Israeli border police fired a sponge round at a Palestinian teen’s head then hit him in the head with a gun in the Ramallah-district town of Silwad in March.

Highlighting humiliation of Palestinians passing through Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank, al-Ayyam said Israeli forces tend to take photos of Palestinian passengers’ ID cards and record vehicles’ plates and take passengers’ mobile numbers.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported a Fatah official stating the illusion of bringing about regional peace without solving the Palestinian question and forming an alternative Palestinian leadership has been shattered thanks to the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and leadership.

It published a report blaming Hamas for obstructing the development of desalination facility project in the besieged Gaza enclave.

K.F./M.K.