RAMALLAH, Israeli army raids into several towns in the West Bank, mainly the town of Rujeeb in the Nablus governorate, and the dozens of injuries caused by Israeli army gunfire were highlighted on the front page of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies published today.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida dailies highlighted the raids and said that the army surrounded a house in Rujeeb and opened heavy fire at it for five hours in order to get people inside to turn themselves in, which they did and were arrested.

In the process, Palestinians clashed with the soldiers throwing rocks at them and the soldiers responded by opening fire at the Palestinians injuring dozens from live bullets and tear gas inhalation.

The third daily, al-Quds, opted to highlight as its main front-page story the decision of the Palestinian freedom fighters incarcerated in Israel to go on a hunger strike to demand implementation by the Israel Prison Services of their rights.

It said the Israeli High Court has, once again, rejected an appeal for the release of Palestinian administrative detainee Khalil Awawda, who has been on hunger strike for six months demanding his freedom.

The other two dailies also reported on these two topics.

Meanwhile, al-Hayat al-Jadida said President Mahmoud Abbas expressed support for the security and stability in Iraq.

It also reported on the 40th year anniversary of the Israeli invasion of Beirut.

Al-Ayyam said in a report by its correspondent in Jerusalem that a US working group is studying the possibility of having a Palestinian presence at the al-Karama/King Hussein/Allenby bridge crossing between the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jordan. It said US State Department spokesman Ned Price did not give details in his daily press briefing on this issue.

Al-Quds said on the issue of the bridge crossing that the Jordanian Minister of Information Faysal al-Shboul told it in a special interview that the crisis on the crossing was caused by Israel for refusing to increase the operating hours despite the large number of Palestinians traveling in and out of the West Bank, and that the issue of Ramon airport is fabricated.

It also quoted a Jordanian lawmaker questioning his government about stopping work on the Jordan Valley airport.

The paper also said that Israel is expected to approve next week the construction of hundreds of settlement units in occupied Jerusalem.

Al-Ayyam said that after 172 sessions, an Israeli court sentenced Palestinian aid worker Mohammad Halabi to 12 years in prison without any evidence to prove the allegations against him.

It said the UN Human Right Commissioner criticized Israel for not providing visas to UN workers.

It also quoted the International Monetary Fund saying huge challenges face the Palestinian economy.

Source: Palestine News & Info Agency