RAMALLAH, July 10, 2018 (WAFA) – Israel’s tightening of the economic blockade on the besieged Gaza Strip with the closure of its main cargo crossing with Israel was the highlight of the Palestinian Arabic dailies on Tuesday.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam made this story their top front page item and said that Israel imposed new and tightened sanctions on Gaza and closed Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, banned import and export, and reduced the fishing area.
Al-Quds said the new sanctions are intend to force Hamas to return the Israeli it has been holding for years.
Al-Ayyam said a new effort by Gazans to get ships out of the besieged enclave will be attempted on Tuesday, the second in a couple of months, in order to break the Israeli siege on Gaza.
The main front page story in al-Hayat al-Jadida highlighted statements by President Mahmoud Abba during meetings at his office with foreign and local officials, particularly his meeting with the Russian deputy foreign minister.
The newspaper, along with the other two dailies, quoted the president saying Israel’s hostile measures against the Palestinian people will have dire consequences.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida said Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah attended the inauguration ceremonies for Turkish President Recep Tayyeb Erdogan on behalf of Abbas.
The three papers also reported on the Israeli High Court delaying by few days any Israeli government action against Khan al-Ahmar Palestinian Bedouin community just outside Jerusalem.
Al-Ayyam said the Israeli military government gave the settlers the green light to have a cemetery on Palestinian land in the north of the West Bank.
It also said the military government closed off thousands of dunums of land in the northern Jordan Valley in an effort to force its Palestinian residents to leave it.
It quoted officials from the United Nations agency in charge of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, saying the cuts in international contributions will affect its programs in the West Bank and Gaza.
The papers reported on the wave of earthquakes that hit the north of the country in the last few days causing concern of a possible strong earthquake hitting the area.
Al-Quds quoted an informed source saying the US administration has reached a dead end regarding its so-called deal of the century.
Al-Ayyam said Palestinian police arrested 14 people involved in attacking a hospital west of Ramallah.
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