RAMALLAH, The opening of the World Cup in Qatar as well as Israeli repression in the occupied West Bank and Palestinian reaction to remarks by Israel’s Prime Minister-Designate Benjamin Netanyahu were highlighted on the front page of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies published today.
Al-Quds and al-Ayyam dailies reported on their front page on the opening of the World Cup and the celebration for the launch of the games, while the third daily, al-Hayat al-Jadida, said President Mahmoud Abbas attended the opening event and congratulated the Emir of Qatar on its success.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida quoted presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh saying in reaction to remarks by Netanyahu who claimed that the Palestinians do not want a state next to Israel that the Palestinians are committed to peace based on United Nations resolutions and not on the basis of the so-called deal of the century.
It also said in another story that the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem forced a Palestinian resident of occupied East Jerusalem to demolish part of his own house claiming it was built without a permit.
Al-Ayyam said one person was injured by Israeli army gunfire near Bethlehem and soldiers suppressed an anti-settlement activity in the town Bruqin, near Salfit.
It said a child was injured from attacks by Israeli settlers in the southern West Bank city of Hebron and printed a picture of the injured child with his head bandaged.
Al-Quds said Israel completed the registration of large areas of Palestinian-owned land in Sheikh Jarrah and Beit Safafa, two East Jerusalem neighborhoods, in the names of settlers and said also that 30 Palestinian families are facing the threat of eviction from their homes in al-Sawahra neighborhood, east of Jerusalem, under the pretext of the land the homes are built on is absentee property.
Reporting on the findings of the investigation into the fire that caused the death of 22 people in Jabalia, Gaza Strip, al-Quds daily said the findings showed that no outside party was responsible for the fire.
Al-Ayyam said on this topic that the use of gasoline and fireworks in the house by a member of the Abu Rayya family that perished in the fire was the cause of the fire.
SOURCE: PALESTINE NEWS & INFO AGENCY