Killing mentally-disabled Palestinian in Tulkarem focus of dailies

The killing of a Palestinian youth with mental disability by Israeli military during a raid in Tulkarem dominated the front page headlines in Palestinian Arabic dailies.

Al-Quds reported that Israeli forces killed a Palestinian with mental disability during a raid into the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem.

Al-Ayyam said that Israeli forces shot the man dead during ensuing confrontations in the city neighborhoods.

Mohammad Habali, 22, was reportedly succumbed to his critical injuries after being shot with a rubber-coated steel bullet in the leg and a second time in the head. He worked at a coffee shop in the city until late night hours.

Additionally, the dailies reported that Israeli occupation authorities demolished a Palestinian-owned under-construction house in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukkaber.

They added that Israeli bulldozers also demolished commercial structures in Hares village, west of Salfit. Al-Ayyam noted that four structures were demolished, while al-Hayat al-Jadida said that they were three.

Bulldozers reportedly demolished a laundry wash, carpentry workshop, blacksmith workshop and an aluminum workshop in the village purportedly for being built in Area C without the difficult-to-obtain Israeli permits.

On the other hand, al-Quds opted to highlight the Israeli military operation to expose alleged Hezbollah cross-border tunnel attacks along Israel-Lebanon border.

Furthermore, al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the Palestinian Council of Ministers has decided to form the Higher Committee for Statistics of Diaspora Palestinians.

Spotlighting persistent Israeli use of religion to cloak colonialism, al-Quds said that Israeli Jewish settlers lighted Hanukah candelabrum in the vicinity of the Lions’ Gate (Bab al-Asbat) in Jerusalem’s Old City.

According to al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida, Israeli forces detained 28 Palestinians in multiple overnight raids across the West Bank.

They added that Finance Minister Shukri Bishara a €54.4 million cooperation protocol with the German Government.

Moreover, al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is considering a lawsuit filed by Palestine against the relocation of the US embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Regionally, al-Ayyam said that Saudi Arabia barred Israeli players from participating at an international chess tournament.

According to al-Quds, Democratic Representative-elect Rashia Tlaib plans to lead a delegation of lawmakers to the occupied Palestinian territories.

Spokesman for Jordan’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Majed Qatarneh was reported in al-Ayyam announcing that Jordanian special power of attorney that has recently gone viral in relation to the fraudulent sale of a plot of land, adjacent to the US embassy in Jerusalem, was forged.

Al-Ayyam also highlighted Palestine’s persistent efforts to foil a US draft resolution that condemns Hamas at the United Nations General Assembly.

According to al-Hayat al-Jadida, Deputy Prime Minister Nabil Abu Rudeineh briefed Russian ambassador to Palestine Haidar Aghanin on the latest political developments.

It also reported Presidential Advisor for Diplomatic Affairs Majdi al-Khaldi stating that Palestinian-Italian relations would make a qualitative leap forward and a joint committee would be in place by early 2019.