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The new cabinet and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (second from right)
Photo: Ayman Nobani / Xinhua / IMAGO
An attempt at political normality in times of war: a new Palestinian government took the oath of office in Ramallah.
The cabinet of the new head of government Mohammed Mustafa includes 23 members, including four women and six ministers from the Gaza Strip:
One of them is former mayor of the city of Gaza, Maged Abu Ramadan, who is now in charge of the Ministry of Health.
Among the women sworn into the Cabinet on Sunday is Palestinian-Armenian academic Warsen Aghabekyan, who will work in the Foreign Ministry controlled by Mustafa.
The "top national priority" is ending the war in the Gaza Strip, Mustafa said when he presented his cabinet. His government will "work on formulating visions for the reunification of institutions, including assuming responsibility for Gaza." Prime Minister Mustafa is an economist and long-time advisor to Abbas.
The Palestinian Authority rules the Israeli-occupied West Bank but has limited power. In the Gaza Strip, the radical Islamic Hamas took sole control in 2007 and violently ousted the rival Fatah party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The autonomous authority is under pressure from the US to undertake reforms and be ready for the post-war period in the Gaza Strip. However, many doubt that the autonomous authority, which is controversial due to divisions, corruption scandals and authoritarian tendencies, can be a credible actor.
The war between Israel and Hamas was triggered by the major attack on Israel on October 7th by the Palestinian organization, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and the USA. Islamist fighters committed atrocities mainly against civilians; according to Israeli figures, around 1,140 people were killed and around 250 hostages were kidnapped into the Gaza Strip.
dop/AFP