Muhammad Mustafa retained the Foreign Affairs portfolio in addition to assuming the presidency of the government (Palestinian Press)
Today, Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas approved the formation of the new Palestinian government headed by economist Muhammad Mustafa, who retained the foreign ministry, two weeks after his appointment.
The Palestinian News and Information Agency (Wafa) reported that the new government, which does not include the names of former ministers except for Interior Minister Ziad Hab Al-Rih, will be sworn in before the president next Sunday.
Abbas issued a decision to grant confidence to the government in accordance with the Palestinian Basic Law (the Constitution), which grants the president this right in the absence of the dysfunctional Legislative Council.
The government includes 23 independent and professional ministers, and Wafa Agency explained that the government’s program confirmed that its political authority is the Palestine Liberation Organization, “the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.”
In turn, Mustafa said, "The first national priority is a ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza." He added, "We will work to develop visions for the reunification of institutions, including assuming responsibility in Gaza."
Mustafa, an independent economist, was chosen to form this government to implement reforms in the institutions of the Palestinian Authority that the United States of America and other international bodies have long demanded, in preparation for the stage that will follow the end of the war in the Gaza Strip.
The government's program included working to give the humanitarian situation a top priority, including developing a comprehensive plan for humanitarian aid and immediate relief for the people of the Gaza Strip, recovery and reconstruction in both the Strip and the West Bank, and focusing efforts aimed at consolidating and stabilizing the financial situation and its reflection on economic stability.
The new government's program, according to the Palestinian News Agency, also includes plans for institutional reform, restructuring and unifying institutions, fighting corruption, raising the level of services and digital transformation, unifying institutions and restructuring institutions between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
It also includes an item on the rule of law, enhancing the integrity of the financial sector, including empowering the judicial system, enhancing security and safety, and ensuring public freedoms, according to the same source.
The government's program also included strengthening steadfastness in occupied Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley and marginalized areas, continuing work to preserve Christian and Islamic holy sites in the city, and developing plans and programs to reconnect the city with all Palestinians.
Source: Agencies