RAMALLAH, May 18, 2018 (WAFA) – The Arab League’s extraordinary in Cairo over the killing of over 60 Palestinians by Israeli forces along Gaza border hit the front page headlines in Palestinian Arabic dailies on Friday.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that Arab foreign ministers have tasked the Arab League’s General Secretariat with preparing a plan to confront the decision of any country to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

They added that they called for the establishment of an independent international committee of investigation into the crimes perpetrated by Israel in Gaza.

Furthermore, Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida suggesting that Arab countries should recall their ambassadors to the US in response to the relocation of the US embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

He reportedly stated: “There is no harm in Arab states collectively recalling their ambassadors to Washington to their capitals for consultations.”

According to al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau called for an independent investigation into Israel’s killing of dozens of Palestinians and wounding of thousands others, including a Canadian physician, along Gaza border.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam added that Israel was concerned over the formation of an independent international investigation committee by the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Al-Quds reported that Israeli warplanes pounded several locations in Beit Lahia town and Jabalia. According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, at least a Palestinian was injured as a result of the missiles.

It added that kites flown by Palestinian protestors set fire to fields in the southern Israeli settlements in Gaza periphery.

Al-Ayyam reported the Independent Palestinian Commission in charge of prosecuting Israeli recent crimes in Gaza announcing that among the scores of Palestinians shot and injured by Israeli forces last Monday, 54 were in a critical condition.

It spotlighted the Higher National Commission for the Great March of Return calling on Palestinians to partake in today’s protests, dubbed “Friday of Honoring the Martyrs”, and affirming the peaceful nature of the protests.

Regarding the situation in the West Bank, al-Quds said that Israeli forces raided al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem, causing a number of Palestinian students to suffocate from tear gas and closing several agricultural roads.

It added that Israeli forces conducted multiple overnight raids across the West Bank, detaining 15 Palestinians. According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, detainees totaled 14.

It also reported that Israeli forces set fire to over 20 dunums of wheat fields to the west of Idhna town, west of Hebron.

Moreover, al-Ayyam said that scores of Israeli settlers forced their way into East Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida added that Israeli occupation authorities stepped up their restrictions in Jerusalem.

In addition, al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Israeli occupation authorities decided to enforce the so-called “administrative demolitions” of Palestinian structures in West Bank Area C.

The dailies said that an Israeli court rejected a request to delay the expulsion of Human Rights Watch’s country Israel and Palestine director Omar Shakir.

Al-Quds reported that Bosnia refuses to extradite a suspect in the 2016 killing of Mohammed Zouari, a Hamas member, in Tunisia.

It published a translation for Xinhua’s report titled 70 years on, path to peace in Middle East remains thorny.

It also said that the current US President Donald Trump administration’s unconditional support to Israel surpasses that of its predecessors and isolates the US at the international level.

It highlighted preparations by Palestinian citizens of Israel to rally today in solidarity with Gaza.

According to al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida, Jordan called on the European Union to recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine.

According to al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida, Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah to visit Istanbul to attend, on behalf of President Mahmoud Abbas, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s extraordinary session over Gaza.

Al-Ayyam highlighted Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis’ statements indicating that the UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, was “part of the problem” and fueling “unrealistic” hopes of return.

K.F.