RAMALLAH, Friday, March 22, 2019 (WAFA) – US President Donald Trump’s tweet calling for legitimizing Israel’s occupation of Syria’s Golan Heights dominated the front page headlines in Friday’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.

The dailies reported Trump tweeting that “it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.”

Al-Quds also reported Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit announcing that any recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights is illegal and does not entail rights and obligations.

Additionally, the dailies highlighted the funeral procession of 26-year-old Ahmad Manasra, who was killed by Israeli forces on Wednesday at the entrance of al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem.

Al-Ayyam added that a general strike was observed in the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem to mourn Manasra.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian homes in Urif village, south of Nablus, triggering confrontations with Palestinians.

They also reported that Israeli occupation authorities banned a Mother’s Day ceremony, organized by the Jerusalem’s Girls Association, from taking place at Institut Francais de Jerusalem.

Al-Ayyam reported that Israel forces sealed all entrances to Deir Nitham village, northwest of Ramallah, and an Israeli settler rammed his car into a Palestinian worker in the Old City of Hebron.

According to al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli settlers stormed the Ibrahimi Mosque in the southern West Bank city of Hebron to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim.

Al-Quds said that Israeli occupation authorities have decided to seize 14 dunums of Palestinian land from al-Malha to expand Gilo settlement, south of Jerusalem.

Highlighting the situation in Gaza, al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that eight Palestinians were injured by Israeli shelling on the nighttime protests east of the southern coastal enclave’s city of Rafah.

Highlighting a report published in Israel Hayom, al-Ayyam said that Egypt has put forward a plan envisaging disarming Palestinian factions, except for light weapons, in exchange for lifting the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip.

Al-Ayyam reported the European Union (EU) Representative Office to the West Bank and Gaza reiterating “the importance of upholding the status quo for the holy sites in Jerusalem.”

The Office made this statement following a meeting between the EU Heads of Mission with members of Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Council.

However, al-Quds reported the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Council slamming the EU for referring to Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as the “Temple Mount” in its statement.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida highlighted Hamas’ police crackdown on protests against the deteriorating economic conditions in the besieged coastal enclave.

Al-Ayyam said in this regard that Hamas continues to imprison a large number of youthful protestors, while those released narrate the details of savage attacks they has endured at the hands of Hamas.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported the EU stating that: “violent suppression of the demonstrations is unacceptable and must stop.”

Al-Ayyam said that US Secretary of State Mark Pompeo accompanied Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Al-Buraq Wall, also known as the Western Wall.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported Secretary-General of the PLO’s Executive Committee Saeb Erekat slamming Pompeo’s visit to al-Buraq Wall as constituting a “radical change in the US policy.”

Moreover, al-Hayat al-Jadida reported Information Minister Nabil Abu Rudeineh accusing Hamas of facilitating the so-called deal of the century.

It also reported General Supervisor of the Palestinian Official Media Ahmad Assaf slamming Hamas for its crackdown on popular protests in Gaza and saying that Hamas would not successfully conceal the truth about what’s going on in Gaza.

Regionally, al-Quds reported a European diplomat revealing that the EU is slated to convene a consultative meeting in Brussels during April to discuss ways to deal with US Mideast plan, dubbed deal of the century.

It also published a translation for New York Times’ columnist Thomas Friedman’s opinion article Beware the Mideast’s Falling Pillars.

K.F.