RAMALLAH, November 9, 2017 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation authorities’ decision to approve the construction of over two hundred new housing units in two settlements in East Jerusalem dominated the front page headlines in Palestinian Arabic dailies on Thursday.
The dailies reported Israeli occupation authorities approved the construction of 240 new settler units in occupied East Jerusalem’s settlements of Ramat Shlomo and Gilo.
On the other hand, al-Hayat al-Jadida opted to spotlight President Mahmoud Abbas’ meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh.
It reported in this regard Abbas affirmed that the Palestinian leadership and people stand with Saudi Arabia in the face of attacks against it.
The dailies added that Abbas made a phone call with resigned Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri.
Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said Saudi Arabia has pledged ongoing support for Palestinian refugees.
Moreover, al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported that Israeli Jewish settlers attacked a Palestinian family near Urif village, south of Nablus, injuring three Palestinians.
Al-Quds added that Israeli forces leveled Palestinian lands near the village of Bruqin, west of Salfit.
Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said Israeli police demolished an animal shed in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.
They added that Israeli Jewish settlers stormed an archaeological site in Khirbet al-Muwarraq village, to the west of Hebron city, under heavy military protection. According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli soldiers stole ancient stones from the ancient site.
Al-Ayyam also reported that an Israeli settler rammed his vehicle into a Palestinian child in the Salfit district village of Hares.
Furthermore, Palestinian police chief Hazem Attallah was reported in al-Quds announcing the resumption of security coordination with Israel.
Al-Ayyam reported a Palestinian police statement indicating that security coordination was resumed in the field of crime-fighting police cooperation.
Al-Quds reported Palestinian and Jordanian clerics and national figures condemned the installation of new surveillance cameras at the gates leading to East Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by Israeli occupation authorities.
Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Adnan Husseini was reported in al-Ayyam stating Israel was attempting to unilaterally settle the issue of Jerusalem through isolating the holy city from the Palestinian surrounding and reducing the number of Palestinians living there.
Moreover, al-Quds highlighted Palestinian official condemnations of the fact that the UN agency of Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has introduced changes to school textbooks that undercut Palestinian national identity.
It said in this regard several cultural and educational committees have called on UNRWA to respect international conventions with regards to education in Palestine.
It also reported Japan has contributed $3 million in support of UNRWA’s humanitarian response.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam highlighted a new dispute between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestinian factions over security control on Rafah border crossing.
They reported that Palestinian political factions announced their rejection of an agreement signed in 2005 as a reference for operating Gaza border crossings. The factions called for drafting a substitute Palestinian-Egyptian agreement.
Al-Ayyam reported that Palestinian Bar Association condemned the arrest of a lawyer by Palestinian security forces from Nablus-district Magistrate Court.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported Egypt’s ambassador to Israel Hazem Khairat as saying ‘the key to peace is based on achieving the two-state solution.‘
Finally, member of Fatah Revolutionary Council Osama al-Qawasmi was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida calling on Palestinians to participate on a large-scale in festival commemorating the 13th anniversary of the death of iconic leader Yasser Arafat in Gaza.
K.F./M.N
