RAMALLAH, Wednesday, July 17, 2019 (WAFA) – The death of a Palestinian prisoner in solitary confinement in an Israeli prison as a result of torture and medical negligence dominated the front page headlines in Wednesday’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.

The dailies reported that Nassar Taqatqa, 31, died in solitary confinement in Israel’s Nitzan prison weeks after his detention.

Taqatqa was detained on June 19 after Israeli forces raided his family home in the village of Beit Fajjar south of Bethlehem city.

Following Taqatqa’s death, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons were in a state of alertness and that Israeli Prison Service shut down all prisons holding Palestinian political prisoners and prevented lawyers from visiting.

According to al-Quds, a Qatari delegation is scheduled to visit the besieged Gaza Strip during the upcoming week.

The dailies said that Israeli military bulldozers demolished agricultural structures in the southern West Bank district of Hebron.

Al-Ayyam added that Israeli occupation authorities delivered a demolition notice for a Palestinian commercial structure in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli forces rounded up 11 Palestinians in multiple overnight raids across the West Bank.

The dailies said that European Union Representative in the occupied Palestinian territories and Heads of Missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah called for halting the Israeli demolition orders against Palestinian residential buildings in Wadi al-Hummus area, on the edge of Sur Baher, southeast of Jerusalem.

The EU Missions in Ramallah and Jerusalem were quoted in al-Quds warning the Israeli policy of demolitions and forced evictions of Palestinians “undermines the viability of the two-state solution”.

According to al-Quds, 198 Israeli settlers forced their way into Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

It added that Israeli police prevents the Islamic Waqf Department from installing new gypsum-made windows for Al-Aqsa Mosque, citing the lack of prior permission as a pretext.

Al-Quds highlighted AFP’s report titled Des parlementaires français en visite sur un site controversé à Jérusalem-Est.

It said that pro-Israeli French parliamentarians visited the tunnel of ‘Ayn Silwan, which was recently inaugurated with the attendance of US officials.

It also reported that a huge prehistoric town dating back to the Neolithic Period 9,000 years ago was discovered to the west of Jerusalem.

It spotlighted Israeli media report titled Dispute in Old City endangers Israel’s relations with Russia.

It reported an Israeli official warning of the deterioration of Israel’s ties with Russia and “Christian world” should the three strategically located properties belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem’s Old City be handed over to Ateret Cohanim settler-colonialist group.

Regionally, al-Quds said that Jordan appoints a new ambassador to Qatar two years after downgrading ties.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam said that Palestinian refugees continued to protest against the Lebanese government’s decision restricting their right to work.

Al-Quds added that 20 Palestinian depositors have threatened to withdraw approximately $1 billion from Lebanese banks in protest of the Lebanese government’s decision.

Additionally, al-Quds said that the Conference of Supervisors of Palestinian Affairs in Arab Host Countries called for renewing the mandate of the United Nations Agency responsible for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Al-Hayat al-Jadida added in this regard that the Conference stressed the need to uphold the Palestinian refugees’ right to return and rejected resettlement attempts.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida highlighted Premier Mohammad Shtayyeh’s meeting with Iraqi President Barham Saleh in Baghdad.

Saleh was reported in al-Ayyam stressing his country’s keenness to ensure all Palestinians in Iraq enjoying their full rights and safeguard their benefits.

Ishtayyeh was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida stating that despite the financial war waged by Israel, we will not depart from our commitment to the families of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and others killed by Israeli forces.

Finally, al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation is scheduled to convene today at the request of the State of Palestine.

K.F.