Palestinian authority announces new Cabinet amid Israeli assault on Gaza

The Palestinian Authority has announced the formation of a new Cabinet as it faces international pressure to reform.

President Mahmoud Abbas, who has led the Palestinian Authority for nearly two decades, announced the new government in a presidential decree on Thursday.

Mr Abbas appointed Mohammad Mustafa, a longstanding aide, as prime minister earlier this month. He succeeded Mohammed Shtayyeh, who resigned in February along with his administration, citing the necessity for change in the wake of Israel’s deadly attack on Gaza and growing violence in the occupied West Bank.

Interior Minister Ziad Hab al-Rih is a secular Fatah member who previously held the same position. The Interior Ministry is in charge of the security forces. Ashraf al-Awar, the incoming minister for Jerusalem affairs, has registered to run as a Fatah candidate in elections.

At least five of the incoming 23 ministers are from Gaza, but it was not immediately clear if they are still in the besieged territory.

The PA governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and is led by Abbas’ Fatah party. Fatah has always had a poor relationship with Hamas, Gaza’s ruling party, and the two sides fought a brief war before Fatah was ousted from the area in 2007.

The Palestinian Authority has minimal popular support or legitimacy among Palestinians, owing in part to the fact that elections have not been held for 18 years. Its strategy of working with Israel on security issues is exceedingly unpopular, and many Palestinians regard it as a subcontractor for the occupation.

The interim self-governing authority has also been unable to prevent the Israeli occupation from spreading, including halting Israel’s illegal settlement development project, issuing home demolition orders, and conducting widespread arrests.