The ongoing Israeli blockade of the Hebron town of Yatta and Israel’s refusal of the Arab Peace Initiative as the basis of reviving talks hit the front page headlines in Palestinian dailies.
Highlighting the ongoing blockade of Yatta in its main front page news item, al-Ayyam reported Israeli forces tightened the blockade on Yatta, sealing all entrances and roads with earth mounds.
It also warned that the ongoing blockade threaten to inflict great losses on local sheep herders.
The dailies highlighted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterating his rejection of the Arab Peace Initiative (API) unless it is changed.
Netanyahu was reported in al-Ayyam and al-Quds as stating that he would never accept the API since it calls for Israel to withdraw from all territories occupied in 1967 War.
The three dailies also highlighted Netanyahu’s reiterating his rejection for the French bid to revive Middle East peace talks.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault was quoted in al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida addressing Netanyahu: “I know you are against the peace initiative, but the train has left the station.”
Al-Ayyam said France affirmed its commitment to proceed with the initiative and started the formation of task forces to be in charge of following-up on the Paris conference.
The three dailies said Israel agreed to return the withheld bodies of seven Palestinians to their families, but have yet to set a deadline for the release. It is worth noting that the Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces after allegedly committing or attempting to commit attacks.
Highlighting latest settlement construction plans in the West Bank, al-Quds said Israel is slated to consider the construction of 258 new settler units, a synagogue, a park and a school on seized lands belonging to the Jerusalem villages of al-Issawiya, al-Tur and Lifta.
Highlighting Israeli settler intrusions into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, al-Quds said 16 settlers forced their way to the mosque compound.
It added Israeli police banned a Palestinian Waqf employee entry into the mosque compound and extended the detention of another.
Al-Ayyam said that Netanyahu would remove the ban on the entry of members of Knesset into the mosque compound after Islam’s fasting month of Ramadan.
Furthermore, the dailies highlighted Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi’s decision to cancel his scheduled visit to Ramallah.
Al-Quds explained that Al-Arab cancelled his visit purportedly after Israel refused to allow him to use a helicopter.
Finally, al-Quds and al-Ayyam covered the consequences of the shooting attack that claimed the life of 49 people and wounded 53 others at the Pulse Club in Orlando on the US presidential elections.
Al-Quds reported Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as scolding the role of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait in funding radicalization.
It reported Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as pledging that when elected, he would suspend immigration from countries that have a proven history of attacks against the US and the West.
Source: Wafa