This article was originally published by the Palestine News Network and is republished with permission.

To coincide with World Press Freedom Day, the first independent daily newspaper published in the Gaza Strip will officially launch on 3 May. All legal and administrative procedures are taken care of, and the staff is ready to print the daily, "Palestine."

Editor-in-Chief, Mustafa Sawaf, said that after completing a successful trial period the paper is ready for consumption by the Palestinian public.

He said it would be "a new addition to the Palestinian community, and will work to address the concerns of the Palestinian public," including diverse opinions and intensive reporting on all internal issues. Sawaf added, "Our work is in the service of the Palestinian cause, hence the paper is 'from Palestine to Palestine.'"

The paper will be "printed in two halves of the homeland, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank." He said that work of this kind is unprecedented in the Palestinian daily press and will adhere to "modern global trends."

The Editor-in-Chief also said that increasing the number of daily newspapers will add needed competition and breathe new life into reporting. Sawaf reiterated, "I would like to succeed in serving the Palestinian cause."