The Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced the resignation of his government on Monday, paving the way for a shake-up in the Palestinian Authority, which the U.S. hopes will eventually take on a role in postwar Gaza.
Quick Read
- The Palestinian Prime Minister announced the resignation of his government, initiating potential changes within the Palestinian Authority amidst hopes from the U.S. for its future role in Gaza post-conflict.
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas faces the decision to accept the government’s resignation, indicating a possible shift towards reforms that could align with U.S. expectations and international efforts for a cease-fire.
- The Palestinian Authority, established in the early ’90s and administering parts of the West Bank, struggles with issues of corruption and is unpopular among Palestinians, complicating its potential governance of Gaza.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes the idea of the Palestinian Authority governing Gaza, emphasizing Israel’s intent to maintain security control in the region post-war, while allowing Palestinian officials to manage civilian matters.
- The Palestinians reject such limitations, aspiring for an independent state encompassing the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and Gaza, territories Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war.
- Mohammad Mustafa, chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund and a U.S.-educated economist with a strong background in international finance and relations with American officials, is anticipated to be the next Prime Minister, signaling a potential new direction for the Palestinian Authority.
The Associated Press has the story:
Palestinian PM submits government’s resignation, a move that could open door to reforms
Newslooks- JERUSALEM (AP) —
The Palestinian prime minister announced the resignation of his government on Monday, paving the way for a shake-up in the Palestinian Authority, which the U.S. hopes will eventually take on a role in postwar Gaza.
Many obstacles remain to making a revamped Palestinian Authority a reality. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose forces were driven from Gaza by Hamas in 2007, has made clear that he would like the PA to govern the enclave after the war. But it is deeply unpopular among Palestinians, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has roundly rejected the idea of putting the authority in charge of the territory.
Abbas must still decide whether he accepts the resignations of Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh’s government. But the move signals a willingness by the Western-backed Palestinian leadership to accept a shake-up that might usher in reforms sought by the United States, as international negotiations ramp up to bring about a cease-fire. The authority, created under interim Israeli-Palestinian peace deals in the early 1990s, administers parts of the West Bank but is beset by corruption.
“The next stage and its challenges require new governmental and political arrangements that take into account the new reality in the Gaza Strip,” Shtayyeh said at a Cabinet meeting.
Netanyahu has vowed to destroy the military and governing capabilities of Hamas — which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and staged the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that set off the current war. He has called for Israel to maintain open-ended security control in the territory after the conflict, with Palestinian officials in charge of civilian affairs.
The Palestinians have rejected such a limited role and seek an independent state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza — areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.
Abbas is expected to choose Mohammad Mustafa, chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund, as the next prime minister. Mustafa is a U.S.-educated economist who has held senior positions in the World Bank and served in senior posts in the Palestinian Authority. Palestinian officials say he has a good, longstanding working relationship with American officials.
