JERUSALEM: Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has announced the resignation of his government, governing portions of the occupied West Bank, citing the escalating violence in the region and the conflict in Gaza.
Shtayyeh submitted his resignation to Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday (February 26), stating, “The decision to resign came in light of the unprecedented escalation in the West Bank and Jerusalem and the ongoing conflict, suffering, and deprivation in the Gaza Strip.”
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He emphasized the need for new governmental and political arrangements to address the evolving situation in Gaza and to achieve Palestinian unity and authority over the entire Palestinian territory.
Shtayyeh’s remarks coincide with increasing pressure from the United States on Abbas to reform the PA and establish a political framework capable of governing a Palestinian state post-conflict.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently rejected calls for the PA, under Abbas’s leadership, to assume control over a Palestinian state and govern Gaza. Israeli lawmakers recently supported Netanyahu’s stance against any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.
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Responding to this, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized Israel’s position, accusing it of obstructing Palestinian rights through its occupation of Palestinian territories.
The Ministry reaffirmed Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations and its recognition by other nations, asserting that it does not require Netanyahu’s permission.
Despite the signing of the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, progress towards a two-state solution has been minimal.