Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh resign. He is stepping down to allow Palestinians to agree on how to govern after the recent war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The United States has been pressuring President Mahmoud Abbas to make changes in the Palestinian Authority. Shtayyeh’s resignation still needs to be accepted by Abbas, who might ask him to continue until a new leader is chosen.
Shtayyeh mentioned that the next steps should consider the situation in Gaza after months of heavy fighting. He talked about the need for new political arrangements that consider the reality in Gaza and the unity talks among Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority, which was established 30 years ago, has limited control in parts of the West Bank but lost power in Gaza to Hamas in 2007.
Fatah, the group in charge of the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas are trying to agree on a unity government. They are set to meet in Moscow soon. A Hamas official mentioned that Shtayyeh’s resignation should be part of a larger agreement on how Palestinians will be governed.
Israel has said it will not accept Palestinian Authority rule in Gaza after the war. The conflict began when Hamas attacked southern Israel, leading to a war that caused many casualties on both sides.
So far, the Gaza fighting has resulted in the deaths of almost 30,000 Palestinians and forced many to leave their homes.
