Newspapers review: President’s meetings with world leaders focus of dailies

President Mahmoud Abbas’ meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) dominated the front page headlines in Palestinian dailies on Tuesday.

Al-Quds reported that Abbas called Europe to play a larger role in the next phase and convening an international peace conference.

It reported Luxemburg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn stating that Israel would not live in peace if the Palestinians have no state.

It explained that Abbas made these remarks during separate meetings with Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.

Al-Ayyam said in this regard that Abbas conducted important consultations with world leaders on the sidelines of the UNGA, while al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that he briefed both Asselborn and Mogherini on the latest developments in Palestinian arena.

Commenting on Abbas’ expected speech before the UNGA, President’s Advisor for Foreign Affairs and International Relations Nabil Shaath was reported in al-Ayyam stating that Abbas would stress that Israel must be held accountable and rejection of US President Donald Trump’s decisions.

The dailies reported the Palestinian cabinet voicing support for Abbas’ anticipated speech before UNGA.

On the other hand, al-Quds opted to highlight Moscow’s decision to supply Damascus with an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system in bold print in its main front page news article.

Additionally, the dailies said that Israeli forces killed a Palestinian protestor and wounded dozens others as they participated in a demonstration north of Beit Lahia town in the northern besieged Gaza Strip.

The victim was identified as 21-year-old Mohammad Fayez Abu Sadeq.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, a total of 90 Palestinian protestors were injured as Israeli forces opened fire at the Gaza protests.

Al-Ayyam added that kites and balloons dangling burning rags launched from besieged Gaza into Israel caused 19 fires to break in Israeli areas on the Gaza periphery, while al-Quds said fires totaled nine.

Spotlighting the situation in Khan al-Ahmar village, slated for demolition and forceful displacement, al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Palestinian cabinet called on Palestinians to step up their sit-ins in the West Bank village.

The dailies added that the Human Rights Council widely condemned Israel’s decision to demolish Khan al-Ahmar and forcibly displace its approximately 180 residents as well as the recently-passed Jewish Nation-State Law.

According to al-Quds and al-Ayyam, Germany called on Israel to reverse its decision to demolish the village.

Regarding the massive financial shortfall gripping the UN relief agency, UNRWA, al-Quds and al-Ayyam said that the UN relief agency’s employees held a general strike, suspending schools and other UNRWA facilities.

Moreover, al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida covered a report from the World Bank over the economic collapse of Gaza.

Al-Quds reported the World Bank warning that Gaza economy is “in collapse” and “liquidity squeeze”.

The report will be reportedly submitted to the bi-annual of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) on September 27, 2018 in New York.

According to al-Quds, Justice Minister Ali Abu Dyyak and a host of other officials hosted US-born French law professor Frank Romano in Ramallah.

Romano was reportedly detained by Israeli forces while protesting the demolition of the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar, east of Jerusalem, 10 days ago.

Highlighting rising tensions in East Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, al-Quds said that thousands of Zionist Christians forced their way along Jewish settlers into the site.

Al-Ayyam said that the physical attack against Bethlehem Mayor Anton Salman was widely condemned and the assailant was arrested by Palestinian security forces.

Highlighting efforts to achieve intra-Palestinian reconciliation, al-Ayyam said that Egyptian Intelligence service has developed a new strategy towards this goal.

It added that the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor called for sanctioning Israel for violations of Palestinian children’s rights.