Palestinian Prime Minister and Government Submit Resignations to Abbas

On Monday, Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohamad Shtayé, formally notified the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmud Abbas, of his decision to step down from his duties along with his incumbent Government. The move comes amidst the escalating “political, economic and security” crisis, which Shtayé attributes to Israel’s “aggression” on the Gaza Strip and the intensifying violence in the West Bank.

“I have tendered the resignation of the Government to the president, Mahmoud Abbas,” Shtayé declared in the course of a Cabinet session, a development that was reported by the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Shtayé emphasized that the decision was necessitated by the “political, economic, and security developments” that have resulted from the aggression against the Palestinian populace in the Gaza Strip, in addition to the unprecedented escalation of unrest in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Prime Minister continued to elaborate on the dire situation the Palestinian people and their “political system” are grappling with. He described it as “a fierce and unprecedented attack, a genocide, attempts at forced displacement, death by hunger in Gaza, intensification of colonialism and terrorism in the settlers and repeated invasions of (refugee) camps and towns in the West Bank.”

Furthermore, Shtayé highlighted the attempts to derail the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA), the disregard for all signed agreements, and the gradual annexation of Palestinian lands. He also pointed out efforts to reduce the Palestinian Authority to merely a security administration body, devoid of any political influence.

Despite these challenges, Shtayé vowed that both he and the Palestinian Authority would continue their struggle for establishing a Palestinian state. He reminded everyone that his government had functioned under “complex situations”, including the unauthorized withholding of funds by Israel that were earmarked for the Palestinian authorities.

He also recalled how his administration had faced what is known as the ‘deal of the century’, unveiled in 2020 by the then US President, Donald Trump. Shtayé was of the opinion that the proposed document sought to nullify the Palestinian cause.

He mentioned the subsequent global devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the ongoing war in Ukraine and its economic repercussions, and the unrelenting actions of successive Israeli governments on colonization, murder, abuse, and genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. He also touched upon the continued tensions in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and all Palestinian territories.

Despite these hardships, Shtayé defended his government’s performance, stating that it had successfully balanced the needs of the people while upholding political rights. However, he acknowledged the need for new government agreements and policies, in light of the changing circumstances in the Gaza Strip, the unity talks, and the pressing need for an intra-Palestinian consensus. He emphasized the need for the Palestinian Authority to extend its control over the entire territory.

At the time of the announcement, President Abbas had not yet responded to Shtayé’s resignation. Shtayé has held the position of Prime Minister since April 2019. Before this tenure, he served as the Palestinian governor of the Islamic Bank and the Minister of Public Works of the Palestinian Authority in two separate terms between 2005 and 2006 and between 2008 and 2010.