It was Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh who announced it this Monday morning during a press conference, specifying that the resignation was submitted in writing but that it had been announced a few days earlier.
1 min
with our correspondent in Ramallah, Alice Froussard
These are the words of Mohammad Shtayyeh, now ex-Prime Minister : it’s a resignation “ in light of developments related to the aggression against Gaza » and linked to « climbing » in the occupied West Bank….
During his speech, he explains the difficulties of recent years: the continuing annexation, the coronavirus pandemic, the economic situation, ever-increasing Israeli taxes and incessant raids.
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But it comes above all at a time when the need for a new Palestinian government is felt. Many Western countries are calling for reform of the Palestinian Authority. They would like to see one entity in charge of both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, under the banner of an independent Palestinian state.
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The United States, first of all, but also many European countries as well as the United Arab Emirates. All of them had been pushing for a dismissal of the government for a while, wanting more technocratic management, free from corruption… Also a way of showing that they have control over the political process, thinking of the post-war in Gaza.
From today therefore, in accordance with the law, the current government is transformed into a provisional, interim government, until the appointment of a new Prime Minister. There will be meetings between the Palestinian factions, but there are not many candidates. Rumors already mention one name: economist Mohammad Mustapha, head of the Palestinian Investment Fund, Mahmoud Abbas’s main advisor for economic affairs. But everything remains to be confirmed.