Palestinian media: Abbas chooses Muhammad Mustafa to head the government with American-Arab approval

Palestine – Palestinian media reported on Tuesday that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas chose Muhammad Mustafa as prime minister to succeed Muhammad Shtayyeh, in light of opposition within the Fatah movement.

Media sources pointed out that Mustafa’s appointment has the approval of America and some Arab countries, but there is great opposition against this appointment within the Fatah movement and in its central committee.

The sources indicated that the announcement of Mustafa’s appointment will take place during the current month of Ramadan.

The sources said that Abbas is committed to assigning Muhammad Mustafa to form the next government, as he is a man of politics and economics and capable of forming a professional government that will manage the difficult stage that the Palestinian issue is going through, especially in the wake of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

Muhammad Mustafa (70 years old), holds a doctorate in economics from George Washington University, worked for 15 years at the World Bank, and has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization since 2022. He held the positions of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy in previous governments.

Mustafa has headed the Palestine Investment Fund since 2005, and Abbas appointed him as his advisor for economic affairs in the presidential office in the same year.

In 2023, he was appointed Governor of the State of Palestine at the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development in the State of Kuwait.

On February 26, Muhammad Shtayyeh submitted a petition to its government, and Abbas assigned him to continue running business until a new government is formed.

For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the resignation of the Shtayyeh government, considering it just a “game of chairs.” He said, “This is not real change. They have not had a democratic process for 17 years, as they have not held elections. Rather, what they are doing is a game of changing chairs.”

Source: RT+ Palestinian media