RAMALLAH, April 13, 2018 (WAFA) - The killing of two Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip dominated the front page headlines in Palestinian dailies on Friday.
The dailies reported that Israeli forces killed two Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. Al-Ayyam added that five others were injured by Israeli forces in Gaza.
Israeli forces reportedly shot and critically injured Abdullah Shahri, 28, as he was partaking in a non-violent protest, organized as part of the Great March of Return, to the east of Khan Younes in the southern strip. Shahri succumbed to his wounds later on.
Another Palestinian, identified as Muhammad Hjeileh, 30, was killed when an Israeli drone targeted an alleged location of Hamas movement to the east of Gaza city. Another Palestinian was critically injured in the strike.
Al-Quds added that Palestinians were getting prepared to partake in Friday protests, dubbed as the “]Israeli[ Flag Burning Friday”, to be organized as part of the Great March of Return in the Gaza Strip.
Al-Ayyam added in this regard that the ]Higher National[ Commission for the Great March of Return has finalized preparations for today’s protests, dubbed as “The Friday of Raising the Palestinian Flag and Burning the Israeli Flag”.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported that Israeli troops conducted raids into the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Shufat and other West Bank areas, triggering clashes and causing a number of Palestinians to suffocate.
They added that the Palestinian Civil Affairs Authority was able to get Israel to allow the reopening of 15 Palestinian stores closed since the year 2000 in the Hebron neighborhood of Tal Rumeida.
Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that Israeli bulldozers demolished Palestinian-owned agricultural structures in Shuqba town, northwest of Ramallah.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida added that Israeli bulldozers also demolished retaining walls in the West Bank.
According to al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli forces notified the family of Ahmad Qunbu‘ of their intention to demolish their home in the northern West Bank city of Jenin.
Qunbu‘, already in Israeli imprisonment, allegedly partook in the fatal shooting of an Israeli settler near Nablus in early January.
The dailies added that Israeli forces prevented the rehabilitation of a building in the Old City of Hebron.
Al-Ayyam added that Israeli forces detained a total of 15 Palestinians during multiple predawn raids across the West Bank.
The dailies highlighted a looming major escalation of the chance of conflict between the US and Russia since US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Damascus.
Referring to the New York Times’ Israel’s Violent Response to Nonviolent Protests, al-Quds said that the New York Times has condemned Israel’s violent response to Palestinian nonviolent protests in Gaza.
Al-Quds also reported that 680 Palestinians crossed Rafah border crossing on Thursday. According to al-Ayyam, they totaled 670.
Besides, al-Quds and al-Ayyam spotlighted the ninth annual Islamic Beit al-Maqdes International Conference in Ramallah.
They said that the final statement of the conference stressed that Jerusalem was the eternal capital of Palestine and urged Arabs and Muslims to visit it.
The preparatory meeting of Arab foreign ministers ahead of the 29th Arab League’s Summit in Riyadh also hit the front page headlines in the dailies.
Al-Ayyam reported in this regard that the Palestinian question was accorded top priority in the speeches delivered by Arab foreign ministers.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported Arab foreign ministers stressing that East Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinian state and condemning the imminent relocation of the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as null and void.
According to al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida, the Jerusalem Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Hussein has issued a fatwa banning anyone from “facilitating the transfer of the ownership of Jerusalem and the land of Palestine to the enemy”.
They added that Dublin City Council has voted to support the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and decided to discontinue all business contracts with two companies, namely Hewlett-Packard (HP) and DXC Technology, due to their complicity in Israeli occupation’s violations against Palestinians.
Dublin’s Mayor Mícheál Mac Donncha was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida condemning any attempt by any religion or state to control Jerusalem as “unacceptable”.
Referring to the Protection of Civilians Report issued by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), al-Quds reported that 44 primary schools in Area C, including eight in East Jerusalem, currently serving about 5,000 children, are at risk of demolition by Israeli authorities.
Al-Ayyam reported a US official stating that Trump’s so-called “Deal of the Century” was facing difficulties in terms of how and when to roll it out due to the position of the Palestinians.
K.F.
