Israeli government’s approval of funding for West Bank settlements and the European Union’s support for the French peace initiative hit the front page headlines in the dailies.

Highlighting Israeli government’s approval of funding to West Bank settlements, the three dailies reported that the Israeli government approved the allocation of additional funding for West Bank settlements.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the funding is intended to consolidate settlement construction. Al-Ayyam explained that several tens of millions of shekels were allocated for this purpose.

Al-Quds noted that the plan involves the construction of 82 hotels and boosting the “security” budget in settlements across Jerusalem.

The European Union’s expected support for the French initiative also hit the front page headlines in the dailies.

Al-Quds said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State John Kerry in a European capital in order to foil the French initiative.

Quoting the Israeli newspaper of Haaretz, al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said the European Union is expected to adopt a resolution that will endorse the French initiative and warn Israel about the consequences of the “transparency” bill that would compel NGOs to reveal their sources of funding.

The three dailies also highlighted President Mahmoud Abbas’ meeting with King of Saudi Arabia Salman Bin Abd al-Aziz al-Saud in Jeddah.

Covering this theme as the main headline, al-Hayat al-Jadida said that Abbas and al-Saud discussed the latest regional developments.

Furthermore, al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said a young Palestinian man died after he succumbed to the wounds he had sustained when Israeli forces shot him in the Hebron town of Sair.

Both dailies said an Israeli pro-settlement group is campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union to punish the EU for its “pro-Palestinian stance”.

Both dailies also said that Israeli forces demolished two Palestinian houses in the Hebron village of Susiya in the southern West Bank.

Al-Ayyam said Israeli forces detained three Palestinians purportedly for possessing weapons at Zaatara military checkpoint near Nablus.

Source: Wafa