RAMALLAH, March 24, 2018 (WAFA) – The decision by the US Congress to cut aid to the Palestinians for allocating funds to families of prisoners and Palestinians killed by Israel was highlighted on the front page of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.

The main front page story in al-Quds daily had the following headline: “Palestinian anger and condemnation of American blackmail; Congress approves law cutting aid to the Palestinian Authority.”

Al-Ayyam reported on this story in the lower half of the page and said in the headline: “The government rejects and denounces the conditions of the US Congress regarding aid to the (Palestinian) Authority.”

Al-Hayat al-Jadida, which also reported on this on the lower part of the front page said in the headline: “A new US bullying against Palestine.”

The Friday protests against the US decision recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital continued in the West Bank and on the Gaza borders with Israel.

The three dailies said Israeli forces cracked down on these protests causing dozens of injuries among the Palestinian protesters.

The vote at the United Nations Human Rights Council in favor of Palestine was also highlighted on the front page of the three dailies.

Al-Quds published an interview with Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator and secretary general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), in which he said, as came in the headline, “The coming period demands convening the (Palestinian) National Council, a political program that upholds our (national) project and rejection of the decisions of the US administration.”

The paper also quoted Palestinian-Israeli lawmaker Yousef Jabarin, from the Joint Arab List, saying on the occasion of Land Day, which coincides on March 30, that big challenges are facing the Palestinians.

The paper said in another issue that Hamas has evidence regarding the parties responsible for the attempt to assassinate Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah. It said a new list of wanted people suspected to being connected to the attack has been drawn by Hamas. The main suspected culprit in the attack, Anas Abu Khousa, was killed when Hamas forces attempted to arrest him last week.

The papers also reported on the opening of Rafah crossing with Egypt for two days only to allow humanitarian cases to travel.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida highlighted on its front page, which was also its main front page story that occupied the top half of the front page, a campaign in social media expressing support for President Mahmoud Abbas.

It printed lower in the page a big headline that says: “Hamas madness: bellicose preachers turned the Friday sermons into curses and accusations against the West Bankers of being ‘submissive and meek’.”

The paper also said the Bahraini foreign minister is expected to visit Palestine in the near future.

The paper said the annual Bethlehem marathon kicked off on Friday with 7,000 participants from 72 countries.

In Arab and international news, the three papers highlighted development in Syria, particularly in the Ghouta, the attack in southern France and the appointed of right-wing US official, John Bolton, as National Security Advisor.

The papers also said summer time in Palestine, in which the clock is advanced one hour, started on Saturday morning.

M.K.