Palestine - March 2024

On 28 March, Palestinian President and chairman of Fatah, Mahmoud Abbas, announced the formation of the new Palestinian Authority (PA) government in a presidential decree. The PA exercises civil control over parts of the West Bank but not Gaza. These appointments followed the dissolution of the previous government in late February, after former Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and his cabinet resigned amid growing political infighting and strained relationships with international actors. In the decree, Abbas appointed as the new Prime Minister his longtime adviser Mohammad Mustafa, who a decade ago led the reconstruction in Gaza after a previous Israel-Hamas war. This appointment, and the inclusion in the government of five ministers from Gaza, is notable at a time when the PA is aiming to extend its governance to Gaza after the ongoing war. Abbas’s reappointment of ministers from the previous governments, however suggests a degree of continuity. Resigning ministers were reappointed to other positions within PA bodies, with former PM Shtayyeh taking on a new role as Director of the National Research Centre. Only four women were appointed to the 23-members Cabinet. Elections were last held in Gaza and the West Bank in 2006.   

Sources: International IDEA, Reuters, WAFA, Quds Press, PRC