(ConservativeSense.com) – Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said his government is resigning and has tendered its resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas. The move comes as the US signals that a new government is needed when the Israel–Hamas war is over. Citing “war, genocide, and starvation in the Gaza Strip,” Shtayyeh said the “next stage and its challenges require new governmental and political arrangements.”
Mr. Abbas has accepted the resignation but asked Mr. Shtayyeh to remain in office until new arrangements are made. The US is hopeful that the Palestinian Authority, headed by Abbas and in control of the West Bank, could take over the running of the Gaza Strip after the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, opposes the idea. Mr. Netanyahu published a brief document in mid-February outlining his vision for a post-war Gaza and said Israel will maintain responsibility for security in the area. He rejected the Palestinian Authority and said only groups with no history of terrorism would administer the region.
Netanyahu stated that he would “demilitarize” Gaza and close its border with Egypt to prevent weapons smuggling. His government would furthermore install a “de-radicalization” program in religious and educational institutions. Mr. Abbas subsequently said he would not agree with Netanyahu’s plans.
The Israeli leader has also insisted he will not back a two-state solution to the crisis. In January, Netanyahu told the US that he will resist Palestinian statehood and pursue military action in Gaza “until complete victory.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has ruled out Israeli authority over Gaza and said there can be no military occupation or reduction in the size of the region. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby added that the US and Israel have very different visions for the future, as America wants “governance in Gaza that’s representative of the aspirations of the Palestinian people.”
Mr. Netanyahu’s opposition to a Palestinian state has prompted some US lawmakers to repeat calls for conditions on American aid to the Jewish state.
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