RAMALLAH, February 13, 2018 (WAFA) – News about the meeting between President Mahmoud Abbas and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow hit the front page of the three Arabic Palestinian dailies on Tuesday.

Al-Quds, al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Abbas told Putin in the meeting that took place at the Kremlin in Moscow that the US cannot be the only mediator in the peace talks with Israel anymore.

For his part, Putin told Abbas that he had spoken with US President Donald Trump about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, stressing his support for Palestinians.

Al-Quds asked the question on this meeting: “Would President Abbas succeed in opening a new negotiating channel from Moscow?”

On another subject, the newspapers highlighted news about the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, approval of applying Israeli law to academic institutions in the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Al-Quds said that the Knesset has approved on Monday the final version of the law that aims to apply Israeli laws to academic institutions in the settlements.

The legalization of the law is considered a part of the series of laws that were made to for the creeping annexation of the West Bank.

A statement by Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas, was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida. He said that any unilateral steps related to Israeli annexation of settlements will not change the reality, because settlements are illegal.

Abu Rudeineh’s statements came in response to news reports saying Israel is discussing legislation with the US that would effectively annex illegal settlements in the West Bank.

However, according to al-Ayyam, a US official said that Israel’s claims that it discussed annexation plans with the US are false.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported a statement by Saeb Erekat, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Secretary General, who said that Palestine will not accept any negotiations with Israel unless they are based on international law and international legitimacy.

The three dailies said that Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi called on the United States to revive negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis.

In an official statement, Egyptian presidency spokesman said Sisi affirmed Egypt‘s clear and unwavering stance on reaching a fair and comprehensive solution that guarantees the right of Palestinian people and the establishment of an independent state with its capital in East Jerusalem in line with the June 1967 borders in accordance with international resolutions.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida quoted Fatah official in charge of reconciliation with Hamas saying that the Islamist organization is placing obstacles in the way of reconciliation and the precise implementation of the Cairo agreement.

Al-Quds said a Hamas delegation headed by Ismail Haniyeh, its chief, completed meetings in Cairo with Egyptian officials.

The paper said Gaza’s electricity crisis is on again as distribution hours for electricity is having a new schedule.

It said that Palestinian administrative detainees in Israeli jails have declared boycott of Israeli courts.

K.T./M.K.