Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and his government have submitted their resignations, CNN reported.
According to CNN, Shtayyeh said in a post on Facebook, “I would like to inform the honorable council and our great people that I placed the government’s resignation at the disposal of Mr. President [Mahmoud Abbas], last Tuesday, and today I submit it in writing”, as he submitted his resignation.
This resignation can potentially pave the way for U.S.-backed reforms within the Palestinian Authority. President Mahmoud Abbas is yet to decide on the acceptance of Shtayyeh and his government’s resignation.
However, this move indicates a readiness from the Western-backed Palestinian leadership to embrace changes that could rejuvenate the Palestinian Authority. The U.S. aims for a reformed Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza post-war, though numerous challenges persist in realizing this vision.
Shtayyeh emphasized the necessity of new governmental and political arrangements to address the evolving reality in the Gaza Strip during a Cabinet meeting. It is anticipated that Abbas will nominate Mohammad Mustafa, chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund, as the next prime minister.
The Palestinian Authority is seen as corrupt and came under the intense pressure to resign from the United States to reform and improve its governance in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Israel has rejected the prospect of the Palestinian Authority (PA) reasserting control over Gaza after the war. Israel has also dismissed the concept of establishing a Palestinian state in the territories. The US favors a reformed PA to be in control of both the West Bank and Gaza as part of a future independent state.
Shtayyeh who was appointed as prime minister in 2019, said to CNN in October that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict requires the involvement of the United States. However, he noted that the current US administration lacks the political determination to bring about an end to the conflict, stating, “They’re managing it.”