Newspaper Review: Israeli aerial strike on Gaza focus of dailies

News about the Israeli strike which targeted an area north of Gaza, and which resulted in the injury of two Palestinians late Saturday evening, hit the front page headlines of the three Arabic Palestinian dailies on Sunday.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida, al-Ayyam and al-Quds said that a number of citizens were injured in an Israeli drone targeting an area north of the Gaza Strip.

In the meantime, the dailies said, several others were injured by Israeli forces’ gunfire during the Great March of Return protests on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip on Saturday.

The three dailies said that President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in the Irish capital of Dublin on Saturday for an official visit, and met his Irish counterpart Michael Higgins.

Abbas discussed the possibility of Ireland officially recognizing the State of Palestine, and briefed the Irish President on the latest developments on the Palestinian issue.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida said Fatah chastised Hamas for waging what it described as “an orchestrated campaign” against President Mahmoud Abbas and aligning itself with Israeli and American plots to undermine his work for Palestine’s independence.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported a statement by Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki. He said that Palestinian got a guarantee that Ireland will continue supporting the state of Palestine.

Al-Quds and al-Ayyam said that an Egyptian delegation discussed reconciliation file with Hamas’ leader Ismail Haniyeh during its visit to Gaza.

A statement by Arab member of the Israeli Knesset Ahmad al-Tibi was reported in al-Quds. He said that Israel is exploiting the Jewish holidays in order to intensify its raids into al-Aqsa mosque.