Weekly Friday clashes, draft resolution on settlements

Weekly Friday clashes across the occupied Palestinian Territories (oPT) and Palestinian leadership’s efforts to present a draft resolution condemning Israeli settlements to the UN Security Council hit the front page headlines in Palestinian dailies.

The three dailies reported that scores of Palestinians were shot, injured and suffocated as Israeli forces quelled weekly Friday rallies across oPT.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported the Palestinian Presidency is making fresh efforts to present a draft resolution condemning Israeli settlements to the UN Security Council.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported that Israeli police detained a Palestinian for allegedly carrying a knife outside Bab al-Amud (Damascus Gate) of Jerusalem’s Old City.

Highlighting latest Israeli settlement plans, al-Quds reported that Israel has made a call of tenders for the construction of a hotel, a park and commercial buildings in Ma’ali Adumim settlement.

With regards to house demolitions, al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that Israeli forces served 52 demolition notices for Palestinian houses in the Silwan area of Ein al-Luza in Jerusalem in order to implement a new settlement construction plan.

Al-Ayyam reported that UN Assistant Secretary-General and the Head of Humanitarian Affairs for the Palestinian Territories Robert Piper told EU to step up pressure on Israel over West Bank demolitions.

He was quoted in al-Hayat al-Jadida as stating: “We have entered a new and fairly disturbing phase in terms of confrontation between international humanitarian law and the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.”

The dailies also reported that Israeli police detained for several hours and later released Sheikh Azzam al-Khatib of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for alleged “incitement”.

Al-Quds reported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing as 'sacred’ the need of Israeli forces’ to act without restriction in Palestinian-controlled West Bank areas.

Furthermore, al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida highlighted media reports that the leaked documents of Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca reveal that Tareq Abbas owns $1 million holding in the Arab Palestinian Investment Company (APIC).

Both dailies reported APIC Chairman Tareq al-Aqqad as saying that APIC has complied with Palestinian laws and been subject to Palestinian oversight bodies.

He was also reported as slamming a Haaretz report as distortion of facts.

Regionally, al-Quds and al-Ayyam highlighted the visit of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman meeting and meeting with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo.

Al-Quds reported that Egypt and Saudi Arabia support reaching a comprehensive solution to the Question of Palestine based on the two-state solution.

They also reported that both countries signed an agreement to build a new bridge that would link them via the Red Sea.

Internationally, al-Quds reported that Palestinian-American Jesse Sbaih came under pressures to withdraw from running for Congress because of his religion and ethnicity.

Source: WAFA