RAMALLAH, September 20, 2017 (WAFA) – The ongoing events at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was the highlight of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies on Wednesday with focus on the speech President Mahmoud Abbas is planning to present later in the day at the UNGA and his scheduled meeting with US President Mahmoud Abbas.
Al-Ayyam quoted Foreign Minister Riyad Malki saying Abbas is going to focus on recognition of Palestine, international protection to the Palestinian people and the necessity of Israel halting all settlement activities.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida said Abbas met a number of world leaders on the sidelines of the UNGA session highlighting with big black bold letters Abbas saying: “We did not and will not stop allowances for martyrs and prisoners.”
Abbas, who said this in an interview with the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi, also said that he opposed Arab normalization with Israel before resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and that there will not be a trilateral meeting between him, Trump and Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu “if we are not sure that there will be results from it.”
It said quoting Abbas’ spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh that the speech at the UNGA after Abbas meeting with Trump will discuss all issues.
Al-Quds said Palestinian-American differences will prevent issuing a joint statement after the Abbas-Trump meeting.
It said Trump has ignored the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian issue in his UN speech.
In other news, the reconciliation following Hamas announcement that it has dissolved the administrative committee that ran Gaza affairs were also highlighted in the dailies with focus on statements by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in which he said his movement welcomes the conciliation government and is ready to turn over powers to it.
Al-Quds quoted Hamas senior official Ahmad Yousef saying that Hamas will turn everything in Gaza over to Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah’s conciliation government except security inside the Gaza Strip.
It quoted the head of the Red Cross in Gaza saying that people in Gaza do not have any hope that their situation is going to improve and that Israeli restrictions prevent the existence of a normal economy.
Al-Ayyam quoted the Palestinian government saying it is ready to take over responsibilities in the Gaza Strip.
It said members of the administrative committee had quit their jobs after it was dissolved.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida said Israel set up observation posts at Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. Israel also banned Palestinians from entering the city and imposed home arrest on others.
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