Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced the resignation of his government, citing the unprecedented escalation of the war, genocide and starvation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
Shtayyeh, who submitted his resignation to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, emphasized the need for new governmental and political arrangements to address the challenges posed by the current situation.
The decision comes amid growing US pressure on Abbas to reform the Palestinian Authority (PA) and establish a political structure capable of governing a future Palestinian state.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently rejected calls for the PA, under Abbas's leadership, to take control of a Palestinian state and govern Gaza. Last week, Israeli lawmakers supported Netanyahu's rejection of any "unilateral" recognition of a Palestinian state, claiming that it would jeopardize Israel's security.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized Israel's stance, accusing it of holding Palestinian rights hostage due to the occupation of Palestinian territories. Despite international efforts, progress toward a two-state solution, initially outlined in the Oslo Accords of the early 1990s, has been limited.
As the International Court of Justice examines the legal implications of Israel's occupation of the West Bank, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced plans to build over 3,300 new homes in response to an attack that claimed the life of an Israeli civilian.
The decision includes the approval process for 300 new homes in the Kedar settlement and 2,350 in Maale Adumim, where the attack occurred.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed disappointment, stating that the construction of new settlements is counter-productive to achieving enduring peace, reiterating a longstanding US policy under both Republican and Democratic administrations.