Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced on Monday that he has submitted his resignation to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. At the beginning of a Cabinet meeting, he stated, "I would like to inform the esteemed Council and our great people that I submitted the government's resignation to the President last Tuesday, February 20, 2024, and today I present it in writing."
He added, "This decision comes in light of the political, security, and economic developments related to the aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip, and the unprecedented escalation in the West Bank and the city of Jerusalem."
This step comes amid increasing American pressure on Abbas to make changes within the Palestinian Authority, as international efforts intensify to stop the fighting in Gaza and start working on a political framework for governing the sector post-war.
The Fatah movement, which is the dominant faction in the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas have made efforts to reach an agreement on the formation of a national unity government. Both movements are set to participate in a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday.
A senior Hamas official said that this step should be followed by a broader agreement regarding governance for the Palestinians. Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, stated to Reuters that "the resignation of Shtayyeh's government has no meaning unless it comes within the context of a national consensus regarding the arrangements for the upcoming phase."
Israel is committed to eliminating Hamas and has stated that it will not accept the Palestinian Authority governing Gaza after the war for security reasons.
