Prime Minister of the State of Palestine Mohammad Shtayyeh speaks during a Townhall meeting at the 60th Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, southern Germany on Feb 18, 2024. (PHOTO / AFP)

RAMALLAH - Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said Monday he submitted his government's resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas.

In the weekly cabinet meeting held in Ramallah, Shtayyeh said, "The decision to resign comes in light of the developments in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem," noting that his government worked under challenging circumstances.

Shtayyeh's government was formed by a presidential decree in April 2019 and was entrusted with Palestinian reconciliation and preparing for elections

Shtayyeh's government was formed by a presidential decree in April 2019 and was entrusted with Palestinian reconciliation and preparing for elections. 

In a statement to cabinet, Shtayyeh said the next stage would need to take account of the emerging reality in Gaza, which has been laid waste by nearly five months of heavy fighting.

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He said the next stage would "require new governmental and political arrangements that take into account the emerging reality in the Gaza Strip, the national unity talks, and the urgent need for an inter-Palestinian consensus".

With Reuters inputs