RAMALLAH, April 18, 2018 (WAFA) – Marches and rallies held by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to mark the Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, which coincides on April 17 of every year, hit the front page headlines in Palestinian dailies on Wednesday.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that the Palestinian people held mass protests and rallies in the West Bank and Gaza to mark the Palestinian Prisoners’ Day.

Al-Quds added that the Palestinian people marked the Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, affirming that they would continue their struggle to secure the release of prisoners in Israeli jails.

It also reported Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Executive Committee Saeb Erekat calling the issue of prisoners a national issue and pledging that the Palestinian leadership would spare no effort to prosecute Israel ]for its crimes against prisoners.[

Furthermore, al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported that Hamas called on Egypt to intervene with Israel to release former prisoners who have been re-detained after being released in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011.   

Al-Ayyam also reported Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh saying that his movement was ready to reach a prisoner swap deal with Israel through a third-party broker.

Israeli settlers’ acts of vandalism against Palestinians and their property also dominated the front page headlines.

The dailies explained that settlers vandalized dozens of Palestinian cars, slashing their tires and spray-painting racist graffiti on them in al-Lubban al-Sharqiya village, south of Nablus.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida added that settlers assaulted Palestinian farmers in Madama village, southwest of Nablus.

They reported that President Mahmoud Abbas’ Office condemned “terrorist acts” by settlers and called for the provision of international protection for the Palestinian people.

According to al-Ayyam, Israeli forces razed Palestinian land and sealed agricultural roads in Immatin village, east of Qalqiliya.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida and al-Ayyam said that Israeli artillery pounded a location to the east of al-Bureij refugee camp in the besieged Gaza Strip.

They added that five Palestinians were injured as they partook in protests held as part of the Great March of Return along Gaza border.

Moreover, al-Quds reported that the options for Arab countries to confront US President Donald Trump’s decision on Jerusalem were ed.

According to al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israel denied Patrice Leclerc, the mayor of Gennevilliers, a Paris suburb, from entering the West Bank because of his support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Al-Ayyam also reported that UN human rights experts condemned the killings of Palestinian civilians by Israeli forces along Gaza border.

K.F.