WASHINGTON: The US has welcomed the new Palestinian authority government, hinting it is accepting the revised Cabinet as a step toward Palestinian political reforms.
The US has called for “revitalizing” PA in hopes that it can administer the Gaza once the Hamas- Israel war concludes. The war started nearly six months ago, triggered by an Oct. 7 Hamas surprise attack on Israel.
In a statement, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated they look forward to working with the new ministers “to deliver on reforms.”
The PA administers is headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has not faced an election in almost twenty years.
Washington Welcomes New Palestinian Government
Earlier, Mahmoud Abbas appointed Mohammad Mustafa as prime minister of PA. On Thursday, Mustafa also named his new cabinet. It included relatively unknown faces, but also Abbas’ minister of interior and several members of the Fatah movement he leads. Several of the members are from the Gaza Strip, but it is not clear if they are now living there.
War on Gaza
Nearly six months of conflict has destroyed infrastructure including schools, hospitals, and homes as well as road in Gaza. Israeli Airstrikes and ground offensive have left over 32,000 Palestinians dead, local health authorities said. The war has displaced more than 80 percent of Gazans and pushed hundreds of thousands to the brink of starvation, the UN aid agencies say.
On the other hand, Hamas had rejected the formation of the new Palestinian government as illegal, calling instead for all Palestinian groups, including Fatah, to form a power-sharing set up ahead of national polls, which have not taken place in last 18 years.
