Why Palestinian Authority’s prime minister and government have resigned

On Monday, February 26, 2024, Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced that he and his government had submitted their resignations to President Mahmoud Abbas.

“I would like to inform the honourable 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,” Shtayyeh said in a post on Facebook.

The move came amid the aftermath of the war in Gaza, which exposed the weakness and division of the Palestinian leadership, and the pressure from the United States and other countries to reform and improve the governance and legitimacy of the PA.

The resignation could pave the way for the formation of a new government that would include representatives from Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, and that would oversee the reconstruction of the devastated enclave.

However, the resignation also raised many questions and uncertainties about the future of the Palestinian cause and the prospects of peace with Israel.

Reasons for the resignation

According to Shtayyeh, the main reason for the resignation was the need to respond to the “unprecedented escalation in the West Bank and Jerusalem and the war, genocide, and starvation in the Gaza Strip.”

He said that the current situation required “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.”

Shtayyeh’s statement reflected the growing dissatisfaction and frustration among many Palestinians with the performance and credibility of the PA, which was established in 1994 as an interim self-government body under the Oslo Peace Accords with Israel.

The PA, which is dominated by Abbas’s Fatah faction, has been accused of being corrupt, authoritarian, and ineffective, and of failing to deliver on the promises of statehood, democracy, and development.

The PA has also been seen as being out of touch and irrelevant to the realities and aspirations of the Palestinian people, especially the youth, who have been suffering from the Israeli occupation, the economic crisis, and the social and political repression.

The pressure from the United States and other countries to reform and improve the governance and legitimacy of the PA was another factor that contributed to the resignation of Shtayyeh and his government.

The US, which is the main ally and donor of the PA, has been pushing for a series of measures and changes that would revitalise and restructure the PA, and that would pave the way for the resumption of the peace talks with Israel.

The US has long urged the PA to hold elections, which have been delayed for more than 15 years, and to include Hamas and other factions in the political process. The US has also encouraged the PA to cooperate and coordinate with Hamas and other regional actors, such as Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, in the reconstruction of Gaza and the stabilization of the situation.

Implications of the resignation

The resignation of Shtayyeh and his government could have significant implications for the Palestinian cause and the prospects of peace with Israel, both in the short and long term. The resignation could open the door for the formation of a new government that would include representatives from Hamas and other factions, and that would oversee the reconstruction of Gaza and the reconciliation of the Palestinian people.

The new government could also resume the dialogue and negotiations with Israel, based on international law and the two-state solution. The new government could also restore the confidence and trust of the Palestinian people and the international community and could address the challenges and opportunities that face the Palestinian cause.

However, the resignation could also create many challenges and uncertainties for the Palestinian cause and the prospects of peace with Israel, both in the short and long term. The resignation could trigger a power struggle and a leadership crisis among the Palestinian factions and could delay or derail the formation of a new government.

It could also complicate the relations and coordination with Israel, which considers Hamas a terrorist organisation, and which could use the resignation as an excuse to avoid or undermine the peace talks.

There is also the possibility of the destruction of the security and stability of the Palestinian territories which could spark more violence and escalation.

Background

The war in Gaza, which erupted in May 2023 after weeks of tensions and violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank, exposed the fragility and division of the Palestinian leadership, and the gap between the PA and Hamas.

The war, which lasted for 11 days and killed more than 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis, was triggered by the Israeli attempts to evict Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, and the Israeli raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam.

Hamas, which seized control of Gaza from the PA in 2007 after a bloody civil war, launched hundreds of rockets at Israel, claiming to defend Jerusalem and the Palestinian cause. The PA, which has been engaged in security coordination and diplomatic negotiations with Israel, was largely sidelined and marginalised during the war and was unable to stop or influence the hostilities.

The war also sparked a wave of solidarity and resistance among the Palestinians, who took to the streets and social media to protest against Israeli aggression and oppression and to demand their rights and dignity.