The Palestinian Authority has unveiled a new Cabinet in response to mounting international calls for reform. President Mahmoud Abbas, who has been at the helm of the PA for close to twenty years, issued a presidential decree on Thursday introducing the new government. Notably, the incoming ministers are relatively unknown figures in the political landscape.
Mohammad Mustafa, a seasoned advisor, was appointed as the prime minister by Abbas earlier this month. Mustafa, an independent economist educated in the United States, has pledged to establish a technocratic government and set up an independent trust fund to aid in the reconstruction of Gaza. Additionally, Mustafa will also assume the role of foreign minister.
Ziad Hab al-Rih, a member of Abbas' Fatah movement, retains his position as the Interior Minister, responsible for overseeing the security forces. Ashraf al-Awar, the incoming minister for Jerusalem affairs, had previously declared his candidacy as a Fatah representative in the postponed 2021 elections.
While at least five of the 23 incoming ministers hail from Gaza, their current whereabouts remain unclear.
The Palestinian Authority governs portions of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, having lost control of Gaza to Hamas in 2007. Lacking popular support and legitimacy due to the prolonged absence of elections over the past 18 years, the PA's security cooperation with Israel has been widely criticized by Palestinians, who perceive it as complicit in the occupation.
Despite calls for Abbas to step down from a majority of Palestinians in various opinion polls, the United States advocates for a reinvigorated PA to oversee postwar Gaza in preparation for future statehood. In contrast, Israel rejects this proposal, asserting its intent to maintain security control over Gaza and collaborate with non-PA and non-Hamas Palestinian entities.
Hamas has denounced the formation of the new government as illegitimate, urging all Palestinian factions, including Fatah, to establish a power-sharing administration ahead of national elections. Furthermore, Hamas has cautioned Gazans against cooperating with Israel in governing the territory, threatening to treat collaborators as enemies.
