RAMALLAH, Thursday, February 21, 2019 (WAFA) – Remarks by President Mahmoud Abbas in which he said the leadership will not accept the clearance money Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinians if it was short by one penny were highlighted on the front page of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.
They also quoted the president saying that the Israeli decision to deduct the allowances the Palestinian government pays families of prisoners and those killed by Israel from the clearance money is placing a nail in the coffin of the Paris Economic Protocol the Palestinians signed with Israel in 1995 and an abandonment of all the signed agreements.
The papers also said Palestinians demonstrated against the Israeli decision to seize the value of the allowances.
Al-Ayyam quoted the UN official, Nickolay Mladenov, saying that withholding the Palestinian clearance money will threaten security.
It reported on the protests on the northern Gaza border with Israel last night that left six injuries from Israeli army gunfire.
In other stories, al-Quds said the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem has approved the construction of thousands of settlement units in Jerusalem, with al-Ayyam saying 464 units will be built in the illegal Gilo settlement in the south of the city and another 1700 in the same area, in addition to expanding Atarot settlement in the north of the city.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported on the conflict over Bab al-Rahmeh area of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, saying that the Islamic Waqf, which is in charge of Muslim holy places in the city, strongly opposes all Israeli measures in the area as the protests against closing the gate have continued.
Al-Quds said in a story from its Washington correspondent that the United States has confirmed that its consulate in Jerusalem, which deals with the Palestinians, is going to shut down on March 4 and its premise will be turned into a residence for the US ambassador David Freidman.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida and al-Ayyam said Israel demolished two homes in occupied East Jerusalem under the pretext they were built without a permit and ordered the demolition of others.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported on the traffic problems on the Ramallah-Jerusalem road in the section between Ramallah and Qalandia checkpoint, with al-Quds publishing an interview with the Palestinian Minister of Construction Mufeed Hasayneh on what is being done to solve this problem.
Al-Ayyam said Israel announced the opening of a refurbished crossing at Qalandia checkpoint that is supposed to facilitate movement of holders of Palestinian identity cards who have permit to reach Jerusalem to cross the checkpoint.
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