RAMALLAH, October 24, 2017 (WAFA) – The large-scale overnight detention raids in East Jerusalem’s neighborhood of Issawiya hit the front page headlines in Palestinian Arabic dailies on Tuesday.

Al-Quds reported that Israeli police descended on several East Jerusalem neighborhoods, including Issawiya, detaining scores of Palestinians.

Al-Ayyam said in this regard Israeli police conducted large-scale raids in Issawiya, detaining 43 Palestinians, and continued their reprisals against other Palestinian residents.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, a total of 51 Palestinians were detained from Issawiya.

Israeli military’ decision to seize Palestinian farmlands belonging to Ramallah-district village of Nabi Saleh also dominated the front page headlines in the dailies.

The dailies said in this regard Israeli occupation authorities issued an order seizing Palestinian farmlands near the illegal settlement of Halamish, northwest of Ramallah.

Al-Ayyam reported Israeli Jewish settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair, to the east of Yatta, south of Hebron.

It added three Palestinian workers were released after being kidnapped by unknown militants linked to so-called “Islamic State” group in Sinai.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida covered Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney’s condemnation of recent settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Coveney was quoted in al-Hayat al-Jadida: “Such unilateral and provocative actions undermine the credibility of the Israeli authorities’ commitment to a peaceful, negotiated solution.”

Moreover, al-Quds reported Palestinian Minister of Local Government Hussein al-Araj stating the national consensus government would translate the unity between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip into a reality.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said a delegation from Fatah Revolutionary Council has arrived in the besieged Gaza enclave.

Al-Quds reported Augusta Victoria Hospital, known also as al-Mutala‘, in East Jerusalem is on the verge of collapse due to accumulating debts owed to it by Palestinian Health Ministry.

It added the hospital administration has called upon President Mahmoud Abbas to intervene in order to solve its financial crisis.

It also reported the European Union (EU) has provided $13 million in direct support for Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem.

The dailies highlighted Pope Francis’ meeting with Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III in The Vatican. Francis was reported in the dailies stating: “The status quo of Jerusalem must be defended.”

Al-Quds also spotlighted Palestinian Orthodox Christians’ calls for preventing Theophilos from taking part in Christmas celebrations in the West Bank city of Bethlehem over selling of church landmark property to Jewish settler groups.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported Palestinian cellular phone service provider Wataniya Mobile kicked off operations in Gaza.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida stating that the economic boycott of Israel was a defensive economic measure enshrined in international law.

Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida reiterating the Palestinian leadership’s commitment to peacemaking requirements and noting there was no real Israeli partner for peace.

K.F./M.K.