Dailies highlight settler vandalism, demolition of homes

The rise in settler vandalism in the occupied territories and the Israeli demolition of homes and structures in East Jerusalem and other places were highlighted in the Thursday issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies. The main front page headline in al-Quds said: “Demolition of two-story building and car repair shop and closing shops in Beit Hanina and Hizma.” Al-Ayyam’s main headline said: “Settlers escalate their aggression: torching vehicles, uprooting olive trees and writing vengeance slogans.” The top front page headline in al-Hayat al-Jadida said: “The settlers widen their war and the occupiers continue the massacre of home demolition in Jerusalem.” The papers printed pictures showing the destruction caused by the bulldozers to the Palestinian homes in Jerusalem and a mother carrying her son and yelling at the sight of her destroyed home, as came in the caption. Al-Ayyam said, quoting an Israeli settlement monitoring group, Israel plans to build 1000 new housing units in the settlements in occupied Jerusalem. Al-Quds said Israel arrested five Hamas activists in Nablus. Al-Hayat al-Jadida said electricity prices are going to increase next month. It also said in another story that the World Bank has transferred $31.6 million to the Palestinian budget. It also said the public workers observe a general strike today, and salaries to be paid the middle of next week. It had a story in blue background at the bottom of the front page from the French news agency about an Israeli waste dump site in the north of the West Bank that is causing hardships for residents in the Palestinian villages Deir Sharaf and Qousin. Al-Ayyam said Hamas is against the changes the PLO’s Executive Committee has introduced to the National Council elections law. It also quoted Fatah representative to the reconciliation talks with Hamas, Azzam al-Ahmad, saying that the freedoms committee and the follow up committee are going to meet in Cairo today. It said in another story that the anti-corruption court has exonerated former Waqf minister Jamal Bawatneh of all charges against him of abuse of position and mishandling of public funds.