What will a new Palestinian government in the West Bank mean for the war in Gaza?

The prime minister of the Palestinian Authority announced the resignation of his government on Monday, a move seen by many as a departure from the reform process demanded by the United States as part of its latest ambitious plans to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Considered as the first step.

But it will do nothing to address the authority’s long-standing lack of legitimacy among its own people and improve its strained relations with Israel. Both points represent major obstacles to Washington’s plans for the authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, to rule over Gaza before it declares a state, if that ever happens.

That assumes the war in Gaza ends with the defeat of the Hamas terrorist group, an Israeli and US goal that appears elusive nearly five months after the start of the horrific war, which has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians and annexed the territory. Has been brought to the brink of collapse. Draught

Here’s a look at the government realignment and what it means for the war between Israel and Hamas.

What is the Palestinian Authority?
The Palestinian Authority was formed through interim peace agreements signed in the 1990s between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, headed by Yasser Arafat.

It was granted limited autonomy in the West Bank and parts of Gaza, before Palestinians hoped to establish a full state in both areas and in East Jerusalem, land captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Construction will take place.

But the parties failed to reach a final agreement during several rounds of peace talks. Mahmoud Abbas was elected chairman of the authority in 2005, a few months after Arafat’s death. The following year Hamas won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections, triggering an international boycott of the authority.

The power struggle between Abbas’s secular Fatah party and Hamas turned violent in the summer of 2007, with Hamas seizing power in Gaza after a week of street fighting. This reduced Abbas’s authority over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Abbas recognizes Israel’s existence, opposes armed conflict and is committed to achieving a two-state solution. Its security forces have cooperated with the Israeli military to counter Hamas and other armed groups, and its government has worked with Israel to facilitate the issuance of work permits, medical travel, and other civil matters.

What does resignation mean?
Announcing his resignation, Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said new provisions were needed to address “the new reality in the Gaza Strip”.

Abbas has accepted Shtayyeh’s resignation and is expected to replace him with Mohammed Mustafa, a US-educated economist who has held senior positions at the World Bank and currently heads the Palestinian Investment Fund. He was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy between 2013 and 2015.

The appointment of Mustafa, a political independent rather than a Fatah loyalist like Shtayyeh, would likely be welcomed by the United States, Israel, and other countries.

Mustafa does not have his own political base, and Abbas, 88, will still have the final say on any major moves. Nevertheless, the appointment would paint a picture of a reformed and professional Palestinian Authority that can manage Gaza, which is important to the United States.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said it is up to the Palestinians to choose their leaders, but the United States welcomes any steps to “reform and revitalize” the Palestinian Authority.

“We believe these steps are positive. “We believe they are an important step toward achieving a unified Gaza and West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.”

What do you think about the Palestinian Authority?
Abbas’s popularity has declined in recent years and polls consistently show that a large majority of Palestinians want him to resign. The Authority’s security cooperation with Israel is highly unpopular, leading many Palestinians to view the institution as a contractor of the occupation.

Both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas have persecuted dissent in areas under their control, suppressed protests with violence, and imprisoned and tortured critics. Abbas’s term ended in 2009, but he has refused to call elections, which he blames on Israeli sanctions.

Hamas, whose popularity has surged during this and previous rounds of violence, would likely do well in any free vote.

But by far the most popular Palestinian leader is Marwan Barghouti, a Fatah leader serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison after being convicted of terrorism in 2004.

Hamas has demanded their release in exchange for some of the hostages captured in the October 7 attack that sparked the war, but Israel has refused.

Hamas has called on all Palestinian factions to form an interim government in preparation for elections. But Israel, the United States and other Western countries are likely to boycott any Palestinian entity that includes the armed group, which they consider a terrorist organization.

Does Israel support the Palestinian Authority?
Israel prefers the Palestinian Authority to Hamas. Although they cooperate on security issues, Israel accuses the organization of inciting terrorism, and the organization in turn accuses Israel of apartheid and genocide.

Israeli criticism focuses on the authority’s providing financial assistance to Palestinian prisoners and families of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, including terrorists who kill Israelis. Israel says these payments promote terrorism. The Palestinian Authority describes these as social benefits for victims of the occupation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the Palestinian Authority should have no role in Gaza after the war. It states that Israel will maintain indefinite security control over the area, while local Palestinian leaders will manage civil affairs. Netanyahu’s government opposes the creation of a Palestinian state.

The United States has proposed moving toward a comprehensive postwar settlement in which Saudi Arabia would recognize Israel and other Arab states for the reconstruction and governance of Gaza in exchange for a credible path to creating a Palestinian state and a revitalized Palestinian Authority. Will cooperate together.

The reform of the institution represents a small part of the project, which has not yet received the support of the Israeli government.

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Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.