RAMALLAH, Tuesday, February 19, 2019 (WAFA) – Rising tensions in the Old City of Jerusalem over the closure of one of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound gates by Israeli military police dominated the front page headlines in Palestinian Arabic dailies.
Al-Quds reported that Israeli military police assaulted Palestinian worshippers and detained several worshippers after the latter broke Israeli-installed locks on the metal gate leading to Bab al-Rahmeh Gate inside the mosque compound.
Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that Israeli occupation authorities resealed the metal gate leading to Bab al-Rahma Gate, on the eastern wall of Jerusalem’s Old City.
They added that Israeli military police attacked Palestinian worshippers who protested the closure and attempted to remove the locks, and detained seven worshippers.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam added in this regard that President Mahmoud Abbas’ Office condemned Israeli measures pertaining to the mosque compound.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida also reported in this regard that Jordan delivered a protest note to Israel over these measures.
Also regarding the situation in Jerusalem, al-Ayyam said that the United Nations voices concern over the seizure of a Palestinian home by Israeli settlers in occupied East Jerusalem’s old city.
It reported Palestinian cartographer Khalil Tafakji warning against Israel’s plans to establish settler-colonialist projects in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Additionally, the dailies reported that Israeli forces opened fire towards Palestinians protesting at the eastern border of Jabaliya in the northern besieged Gaza Strip, injuring 17 with live ammunition.
The dailies said that Israeli bulldozers razed a large tract of Palestinian land belonging to the northern West Bank villages of Sanniriya and Masha, south of Qalqiliya city.
According to al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli military bulldozers also razed a large tract of Palestinian land belonging to Burin village, south of Nablus.
Furthermore, the dailies said that Israeli forces delivered demolition orders for a number of Palestinian structures in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.
The dailies spotlighted Fatah Central Committee’s (FCT) meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
The dailies said FCT discussed several political and internal issues, while al-Hayat al-Jadida added that the committee submitted recommendations ]to President Abbas[ against Israel’s recent decision to deduct multi million dollars from the Palestinian tax revenues.
The deduction amount to the stipends the Palestinian Authority pays to the families of Palestinians killed and imprisoned by Israel.
According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Palestine and the UK signed a trade agreement.
It said that Bank of Palestine realized a net gain of $54.1 million in 2018, while the National Bank’s assets and profits exceeded $2.2 billion and $19.25 million in 2018.
Regionally, al-Quds reported Jordan’s King Abdullah II reiterating his adherence to reform and affirming his country’s firm position on the Palestinian question.
They dailies said that former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni quits Israeli politics.
Internationally, al-Quds reported that French members of parliament intends to tackle “anti-Zionism”.
Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Poland pulls out from the Israeli-hosted summit with the Visegrad alliance of countries over anti-Semitism remarks.
K.F.
