RAMALLAH, Saturday, August 03, 2019 (WAFA) – The three Palestinian Arabic dailies had today more or less the same headline for their main front page story which said dozens were injured yesterday by Israeli army gunfire during protests in the Gaza Strip and West Bank and had almost the same picture of Israeli police attacking Palestinians as they worshipped the Friday prayer at the site of the demolished homes in Sur Baher neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem.
The papers said dozens were injured as Israeli soldiers opened fire and shot teargas and rubber bullets at thousands of Palestinians who gathered at the border fence with Gaza as part of the weekly March of Return protests started on March 30 of last year. Several were hit by live bullets, said the dailies.
Al-Ayyam said in a report on the injury of Palestinian journalist Usama Kahlout, who was covering the Gaza protests, that he received a call from the Israeli intelligence and the second he answered the call he was shot in the leg. He said the bullet was apparently aimed at a sensitive part of his leg but that when he answered the call he moved his leg and therefore the bullet hit the flesh only and did not break any bones.
It added that the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned in a statement Israeli attacks against Palestinian journalists whether they were in Gaza or in the West Bank.
The three papers also said several Palestinians were injured in the weekly anti-settlements, anti-wall protests in the West Bank, particularly in Kufr Qaddoum.
They said Israeli police attacked Palestinians as they worshipped at the site of the 10 buildings Israel had demolished in Wadi al-Hummus area of Sur Baher and printed pictures of police violently attacking the worshippers as well as a cameraman working with AP.
Al-Quds daily said Israel is pushing forward the construction of 2430 housing units in the illegal Israeli settlements.
It said Lebanon is banning entry of Palestinians who carry the temporary Jordanian passport, which includes all Palestinian residents of Jerusalem.
Al-Ayyam said in a report from Lebanon that fighting broke out in Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp after the assassination of a Fatah member.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida quoted Palestinian official, Saeb Erekat, calling on the European Union to force Israel to stop its violations of the rights of Palestinian prisoners.
It said in another report that Fatah has protested to Al Arabia satellite channel an interview with someone who attacked the Palestinian leadership.
The three papers also reported on the demise of the Israel Project, a pro-Israel lobby group in Washington, the US withdrawal from the nuclear arms treaty with Russia, and the start of a trade war between the US and China. They said more than half of the US Congress members want to impeach US President Donald Trump.
M.K.
