RAMALLAH, Friday, August 30, 2019 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas’ remarks during the joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin dominated the front page headlines in Friday’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.

President Abbas was reported in al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida stating that recognition of the State of Palestine does not contradict with negotiations with Israel.

He was also reported in al-Ayyam stating that Washington has violated international legality and replaced it with actions that fail to achieve peace and security.

He was also reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida elaborating that the US administration does not help achieve peace and security in the Middle East region.

He was also reported reiterating that he still believes in the two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders and his willingness to return to the negotiation table based on this solution.

Additionally, al-Quds highlighted an Israeli plan to construct tens of thousands of new settler units in the illegal settlement of Modi‘in-Maccabim-Re‘ut, also known as Modi‘in, west of Jerusalem, inside the occupied West Bank.

It said that Israeli forces conducted separate raids in al-Azzeh refugee camp and al-Khader town, north and south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

The dailies reported that Israeli bulldozers leveled Palestinian land belonging to Beit Jala town, west of Bethlehem, for the construction of a tunnel and expansion of a nearby settler-only bypass road.

The tunnel is expected to connect Jerusalem with the illegal Gush Etzion and Har Gilo settlements.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam said that 113 Israeli settlers wearing garments depicting the construction of the so-called Third Temple on the ruins of Jerusalem flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound forced their way into the holy site.

According to al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli occupation authorities closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron to Muslim worshipers citing Jewish holidays as a pretext.

Both dailies added that Israeli forces destroyed water pipelines in Bardala village in the northern Jordan Valley.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Israeli forces rounded up 24 Palestinians, including three females, in multiple overnight raids across the west Bank.

Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouq was reported in al-Quds revealing that the Hamas-run security forces arrested 10 people on involvement in the recent killing of three police officers.

Three Hamas-run police officers were killed and several others wounded in explosions that targeted two Hamas-run police checkpoints in the besieged Gaza Strip.   

Al-Ayyam added in this regard that Hamas arrested over 20 radicals, half of whom were involved in the bombings in Gaza.

Qais Yousef, an attorney, was reported in al-Quds stating that Israel is exploiting the building codes in Jerusalem to displace Palestinians.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam highlighted the tiny Pacific Ocean island state of Nauru’s decision recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Palestine lodges a complaint to the United Nations against Honduras over its decision to open a diplomatic office in the occupied city of Jerusalem.

Al-Ayyam printed an Arabic translation for Reuters’ report War and poverty drive Gazans to seek better life in Europe despite dangers.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Hamas-run security forces kidnapped Fatah activist Ibrahim Abu Seif, whose brother, Atef, serves as the minister of culture.

It reported secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee Saeb Erekat slamming Hamas’ “accusations” that the two explosions were ordered by Intelligence chief Majed Faraj as an attempt to conceal the truth.

It said that nine Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are still hunger striking in protest of their detention without trial and charge.

It said that the Palestinian government and China signed a 15-million agreement to implement projects.

Regionally, al-Quds said that the US and Israel are pushing for the United Nations to expand the mandate of the UNIFEL in southern Lebanon.

Al-Ayyam added that Israel has cancelled the leaves and departures of all soldiers serving on the Syrian and Lebanese borders and closed seaports in northern Israel in anticipation of Hezbollah’s retaliation.

K.F.