RAMALLAH, Thursday, March 12, 2020 (WAFA) – Killing of a Palestinian teen by Israeli military gunfire during confrontations in Beita town, south of Nablus city, dominated the front page headlines in Thursday’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies.

The dailies reported that Mohammad Hamayel, 15, was killed by Israeli military gunfire at Mount al-Orma on the outskirts of Beita.

Al-Quds added that a large number of Palestinians attended the funeral procession of Hamayel. Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida printed a photo for the funeral.

Hamayel succumbed to his wounds after being shot with a round of live ammunition fire by Israeli soldiers.

The dailies added that Israeli forces assaulted Palestinians who gathered atop the mountain to fend off an Israeli settlers’ attempt to seize it, injuring at least 17.

They said that President Mahmoud Abbas extended his condolences to Hamayel’s parents in a phone call.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli forces detained 16 Palestinians, including an injured teen, in multiple raids across the West Bank.

It added that a Palestinian woman and youth were injured when Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian homes at Wadi al-Hussein area in Hebron city.

The dailies highlighted the sweeping measures adopted by the Palestinian Authority to contain the outbreak of coronavirus disease in the occupied territories.

The dailies said that President Abbas instructed nine governors to follow-up on and meet citizens’ needs and praised the initiatives to supply Bethlehem district with food.

Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the World Health Organization commended the measures taken by the Palestinian Authority to contain the outbreak of COVID-19.

Government spokesman Ibrahim Melhem was reported in al-Quds and al-Ayyam stating that all the samples taken Wednesday for suspected cases of COVID-19 in the Jerusalem district towns of Jaba‘ and Hizma tested negative.

He was also reported in al-Ayyam confirming that no new cases of coronavirus were recorded.

According to al-Quds, Israeli occupation authorities have imposed a tightened closure on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under the pretext of coronavirus concerns.

Al-Ayyam said that 19 Palestinian prisoners and 15 Israeli guards were placed under quarantine at the Israeli prison of Asqalan after an Israeli physician tested positive for the deadly virus.

Chairman of the Detainees and Ex-detainees Affairs Committee Qadri Abu Baker was reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida holding Israeli occupation authorities responsible for any harm to Palestinian detainees as a result of coronavirus.

The US State Department’s move to change its standard definition of East Jerusalem Palestinians from “Palestinian residents” of the city to “Arab residents” or “non-Israeli citizens” in the annual Global Human Rights Report hit the front page headlines.

Al-Quds reported in this regard that the US administration has stripped East Jerusalem Palestinians of their Palestinian nationality.

Al-Ayyam said that US President Donald Trump’s administration considers East Jerusalem Palestinians as “non-Israeli citizens”.

Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh was reported in the dailies stating: “Any attempt to falsify history and the truth will never give legitimacy to anyone, nor will it change the history of the Palestinian people of Jerusalem.”

Chairman of the Qatari Gaza Reconstruction Committee Mohammad al-Emadi was reported in al-Quds announcing that first payment of the Qatari grant to Palestinians affected in the Nusseirat fire will be disbursed today.

Al-Quds said that the Imperial Hotel at Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate has put forward a legal vision on how to save the church property at the risk of settlers’ takeover in Jerusalem’s Old City.

The Israeli settler-colonialist group, Ateret Cohanim, has petitioned the Israeli court to evict the Dajani family from the Imperial Hotel, one of three strategically-located properties belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem’s Old City.

According to al-Ayyam, a Palestinian critically injured in the fire that tore through Nusseirat refugee camp in Gaza succumbed to his wounds, rising death toll to 15.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee Saeb Erekat denying making any statement on direct contacts with Trump’s administration.

K.F./M.K.