Palestinian PM Shtayyeh Hands Resignation to President Abbas over Gaza War, West Bank Violence

President Mahmoud Abbas must still decide whether he accepts Shtayyeh and his government's resignation. But the move signals a willingness by the Western-backed Palestinian leadership to accept shake-up that might usher in reforms seen as necessary to revitalize the Palestinian Authority.

Jerusalem:Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said Monday his government is resigning due to the escalating violence in West Bank and the war in beleaguered Gaza strip. The move that could open the door to U.S.-backed reforms in the Palestinian Authority.

President Mahmoud Abbas must still decide whether he accepts Shtayyeh and his government's resignation. But the move signals a willingness by the Western-backed Palestinian leadership to accept shake-up that might usher in reforms seen as necessary to revitalize the Palestinian Authority.

The U.S. wants a reformed Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza once the war is over. But many obstacles remain to making that vision a reality. “The next stage and its challenges require new governmental and political arrangements that take into account the new reality in the Gaza Strip,” Shtayyeh said at a Cabinet meeting.

Abbas is expected to choose Mohammad Mustafa, chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund, as the next prime minister. (With AP inputs)