Palestinian Prime Minister Submits Resignation Over Gaza War

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has officially announced the resignation of his government, governing parts of the occupied West Bank, citing the escalating violence in the region, particularly in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Shtayyeh told Al Jazeera: “The decision to resign came in light of the unprecedented escalation in the West Bank and Jerusalem and the war, genocide and starvation in the Gaza Strip.” 

“I see that the next stage and its challenges require new governmental and political arrangements that take into account the new reality in Gaza and the need for a Palestinian-Palestinian consensus based on Palestinian unity and the extension of unity of authority over the land of Palestine,” he said.

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At least 29,782 people have been killed and 70,043 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from the October 7 attacks stands at 1,139.

The resignation comes amid growing pressure from the US on President Abbas to reorganise the Palestinian Authority (PA) and start developing a political framework capable of overseeing a post-war Palestinian state.

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Palestinians regard the PA as incapable of offering security against Israel's frequent invasions into the West Bank. More than 60% of Palestinians support the dissolution of the PA, according to a December study by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research.

Meanwhile, support for Mr Abbas, who has held the position since 2005, has collapsed. In the West Bank, 92% of respondents want him to resign, according to the poll.