Palestinian gov. to resign to push for ending war on Gaza: Source

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
25 Feb 2024 23:23
7 Shares

An informed source reveals that the decision is a preemptive step by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the face of pressures faced by the Palestinian Authority.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh attends a cabinet meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh/Pool Photo via AP)

An informed source revealed that Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh will submit Monday the resignation of his government to President Mahmoud Abbas, adding that the government will continue to function as a caretaker one.

The official source pointed out that the resignation decision is a preemptive step taken by Abbas in the face of pressures faced by the Palestinian Authority (PA) from regional countries, the international community, and the United States.

According to the source, the decision aims to put the ball in these sides' court to stop the war on the Gaza Strip, secure international guarantees for the full withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza, halt Israeli incursions into the occupied West Bank, and lift the financial siege imposed on the Palestinian Authority.

The official source mentioned that the resignation is the first step toward forming a new government and will be followed by two other steps: stopping the war in the Gaza Strip and achieving a national consensus for all Palestinian factions, including Hamas.

Achieving a national consensus, according to the informed source, is a step toward establishing a new government after the cessation of the war on Gaza without specifying the exact timing, as it is not possible to form any government while the Palestinian people in Gaza are living under bombardment.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had previously stated that he would not make a decision regarding the formation of a new government before the cessation of the war on the Gaza Strip, informing several Arab and Western countries that any internal step requires Palestinian consensus from all movements.

The source reiterated that the resignation decision comes as a message and aims to put pressure to stop the war in the Gaza Strip, as no government can function and no new government can be formed while the people in Gaza have been facing a genocidal war for more than 140 days.

It is noteworthy that the Palestinian Cabinet has invited journalists to cover the announcement of the resignation of Prime Minister Shtayyeh on Monday at 9:30 am.

This comes as the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on the 142nd day of the war that the number of Palestinians martyred since the start of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Strip on October 7 has risen to 29,692 Palestinians, while the number of wounded has reached 69,879.