RAMALLAH: Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh on Monday announced his government, which rules parts of the occupied West Bank, submitted its resignation to President Mahmud Abbas, saying “new political measures” were needed owing to the changing reality in Gaza.
Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced the submission of his government’s resignation to President Mahmud Abbas amidst heightened tensions and shifting realities, particularly in the aftermath of the conflict in Gaza and escalating violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Shtayyeh revealed that he had tendered his resignation last Tuesday but formalized the process by submitting it “in writing” on Monday. President Abbas has faced mounting criticism for his response to the Israeli offensive in Gaza, with many expressing dissatisfaction over what they perceive as inadequate condemnation of Israeli actions and a failure to address the escalating violence in Palestinian territories.
Calls For Unified Palestinian Authority to Govern
Since the division of Palestinian leadership in 2007, with the Palestinian Authority governing parts of the West Bank and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas ruling Gaza, calls for a unified Palestinian Authority to govern all territories have intensified, particularly from international actors like the United States.
In his announcement, Shtayyeh emphasized the necessity for inter-Palestinian consensus and advocated for extending the authority of the Palestinian Authority over the entirety of Palestine.
Since October 7, Israeli bombardment in Gaza has killed at least 29,782 Palestinians, mostly women and children, the territory’s health ministry said.
Meanwhile, violence in the West Bank has surged to unprecedented levels, with Israeli forces and settlers implicated in the deaths of at least 400 Palestinians since the onset of the Gaza conflict.
Despite the challenges, Shtayyeh affirmed the government’s commitment to confronting the Israeli occupation and striving for the establishment of a Palestinian state on Palestinian lands.
It is unclear whether President Abbas will immediately accept the resignation or await the appointment of a new prime minister. Speculation suggests Mohammed Mustafa, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee, may be tapped to lead the new cabinet, given his previous experience in key roles within the Palestinian leadership.
