RAMALLAH, Monday, April 15, 2019 (WAFA) – The Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Executive Committee’s meeting along with President Mahmoud Abbas’ remarks during the meeting dominated the front page headlines in Monday’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.
Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that the PLO’s Executive Committee calling on the Arab countries to abide by their financial obligations and provide the Palestinian Authority with the financial safety network.
They also reported the committee declaring its support for the 18th newly formed Palestinian government of Prime Minister Muhammad Ishtayeh and called it to implement the National and Central Council’s decisions on determining the relation with Israel.
Abbas was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida stating that the PLO had laid the foundation for a comprehensive, lasting and just peace to ensure the end of the Israeli occupation.
According to al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida, members of the new Palestinian government repeated their swearing-in in front of Abbas in Ramallah.
On the other hand, al-Quds opted to highlighted Israel’s approval to demolish scores of Palestinian houses in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of “peace forest” under the guise of zoning.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam explained that an Israeli court has upheld Israeli occupation authorities’ decision to demolish 60 Palestinian houses in the so-called “peace forest”, a neighborhood between the Silwan and Abu Tor.
It is worth adding in this regard that the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem has attempted to change the zoning of the "peace forest" so that the demolition ruling does not apply to structures built by Jewish Israelis in the area.
Additionally, the dailies reported that a Palestinian teen succumbed to his critical wounds sustained 11 days ago from Israeli gunfire in eastern Gaza.
Isehaq Ishteiwi, 16, a resident of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, died of his critical wounds after being shot by Israeli forces on April 3 after he and another two teens allegedly attempted to infiltrate Gaza’s frontier with Israel.
Moreover, al-Quds and al-Ayyam said that scores of Palestinian students suffered from severe tear gas inhalation after Israeli forces raided two schools in Urief village, south of Nablus, and Tareq Bin Zeyad School in the Old City of Hebron.
Al-Quds said that the US administration will not announce the US Mideast plan, dubbed deal of the century, within the next two or three months.
It also reported that the Palestinian question is no longer at the forefront of Arab countries’ interests and priorities.
Secretary-General of the PLO’s Executive Committee Saeb Erekat was reported in al-Ayyam affirming that the so-called deal of the century is inconsistent with the international law and United Nations’ resolutions.
Al-Ayyam added that Israeli occupation authorities revoked the residency status of two Palestinian prisoners from Jerusalem.
Besides, al-Ayyam spotlighted an investigation released by Israeli human rights group B‘Tselem revealing that it found that the Israeli army destroyed evidence relating to the death of a Palestinian man who was shot and killed by Israeli settlers earlier this month in the northern occupied West Bank.
B‘Tselem’s report is titled Israeli settlers execute Muhammad ‘Abd al-Fattah; military covers up their deed.
According to al-Ayyam, Palestinian prisoners have been on a hunger strike for eight days in a row and the next hours are going to be crucial.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh slamming US Secretary of State Mark Pompeo’s remarks on Israeli settlements as irresponsible and affirming that all Israeli settlements are illegal.
It said that Palestinian premier Muhammad Ishtayeh called on Russia to put pressure on Israel to stop withholding the stipends of the families of Palestinian prisoners and those killed by Israeli forces.
According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, a militant affiliated to the Islamic Jihad movement stormed a wedding hall and indiscriminately opened fire on attendees in the besieged Gaza Strip.
It said that churches maintaining the Gregorian Calendar celebrated Palm Sunday in Jerusalem.
Regionally, al-Ayyam said that an Israeli delegation that was due to attend a conference in Bahrain has pulled out after outcry.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the leaders of Jordan, Greece and Cyprus called for ending the ‘Palestinian-Israeli conflict’ through implementing the two-state solution.
K.F.
