RAMALLAH, August 16, 2018 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas’ remarks during the opening session of the Palestinian Central Council, held in Ramallah, dominated the front page headlines in Palestinian daily newspapers on Thursday.

Reaffirming his rejection of the so-called deal of the century, which the US intends to unveil for the Middle East, Abbas was quoted in the dailies stating: “We were the first to stand against it and we will continue to do so until we bring it down.”

On the issue of reconciliation, he was reported in al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida stating: “We will accept only full reconciliation under one government, one law and one security force.”

Slamming Israel’s plan to forcefully displace the Palestinian Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar, he was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida: “We will not allow Israel to continue with its schemes in Khan al-Ahmar.”

He was also reported in al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida pledging to continue payments to the families of Palestinian prisoners and those killed by Israeli forces despite the Israeli parliament’s decision to deduct their allowances from the Palestinian tax revenues.

He was also reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida vowing to pursue efforts to confront the Israeli Jewish Nation-State Law.

According to al-Quds, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has decided to create a mechanism for the Palestinian victims of Israeli crimes.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida added in this regard that Israel is concerned over ICC’s decisions in favor of Palestine.

Regarding efforts to de-escalate the situation in Gaza, senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk was reported in al-Quds stating that Hamas is scheduled to continue meetings with Palestinian factions on three topics, most importantly the ceasefire agreement, in Cairo.

Member of the PLO’s Executive Committee, Azzam al-Ahmad, was reported in al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida stating that the ceasefire negotiations should be conducted by the PLO, but not Hamas.

Moreover, al-Ayyam said the Higher National Commission for the Great March of Return will make preparations for tomorrow’s protest, dubbed “Revolutionaries for Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa”.

Al-Quds said that Israeli occupation authorities have opened Karm Abu Salem commercial crossing with Gaza after closing it for six weeks.

Spotlighting detentions, al-Quds said that Israeli police detained a number of Palestinian Muslim women from inside Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as 94 Israeli Jewish settlers forced their way into it.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida added that Israeli forces detained 15 Palestinians, including Palestine TV reporter, during multiple raids across the West Bank.

The dailies said that Israeli occupation authorities have approved a plan to construct 20,000 new settler units in Jerusalem.

They added Israeli bulldozers demolished a Palestinian residential building in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of al-Issawiya.

According to al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida, President of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mladen Ivani? is scheduled to visit the occupied Palestinian territories on August 28.

 K.F./M.K.