RAMALLAH, Sunday, March 17, 2019 (WAFA) – For the second day in a row, two of the three local Palestinian Arabic dailies highlighted the aftermath of the mosques’ massacre in New Zealand while the third highlighted the popular protests in Gaza against the high cost of living.

Al-Quds daily said in its main front-page story that murder charge was filed against the perpetrator of the massacre in Christchurch as New Zealanders came out in solidarity with the victims.

Al-Ayyam said six Palestinians were confirmed killed in the mosques’ massacre.

Both papers printed pictures showing the solidarity of the New Zealanders, particularly the prime minister, with the victims.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida, which also reported on the aftermath of the New Zealand massacre but lower on the front page, highlighted the Hamas crackdown on the popular protests in Gaza against high cost of living and tax hikes and said in the main headline that went across the page that ‘for the third day, the youth movement is continuing despite Hamas militias crackdown.”

It printed a picture of a child bleeding in the face from broken glass resulted after the Hamas militias had broken into her parents’ home in Khan Younis.

The paper dedicated almost its entire front page for this topic with reactions and stories from the Gaza Strip.

It said in a different story that Prime Minister-designate Mohammad Shtayeh is continuing consultations on forming a new government.

Al-Ayyam also reported on the situation in the Gaza Strip and said that 11 political factions came out in support of the protests while condemning the way Hamas behaved toward the protesters.

It said Hamas militias abducted the general director of Palestine TV in Gaza.

Also related to Gaza, al-Ayyam quoted the Israeli media saying that Israel has come up with a plan to occupy Gaza in the next war.

It also said in another story that Jewish settlers have been making life very difficult for the Palestinians in the occupied part of the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

Al-Quds, which focused mainly on the New Zealand attack, also highlighted the protests in Gaza on the lower part of the front page as well as the decision by the Muslim Waqf department to reinstall a metal gate at Bab al-Rahma prayer area in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem as a way to protect it from Jewish fanatics.

M.K.