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Hamas criticized the appointment of new Palestinian PM Mohammad Mustafa. Photo/Reuters
GAZA – The Islamist group Hamas criticized Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's “unilateral” appointment of Mohammad Mustafa, an ally and prominent business figure as prime minister with a mandate to help reform the Palestinian Authority (PA) and rebuild Gaza.
Mohammad Mustafa's appointment comes after increasing pressure to overhaul the governing body of the occupied Palestinian territories and improve governance in the occupied West Bank, where the body is based.
Hamas said the decision was taken without consultation despite recently taking part in a meeting in Moscow also attended by Abbas' Fatah movement to end divisions that have long undermined Palestinian political aspirations.
“We express our refusal to continue an approach that has been and continues to be detrimental to our people and our national struggle,” Hamas said in a statement, reported by Reuters.
“Taking individual decisions and undertaking superficial and empty steps such as forming a new government without national consensus will only strengthen the policy of unilateralism and deepen divisions.”
At the time of war with Israel, Palestine needs unified leadership to prepare free democratic elections that involve all components of their society.
In the West Bank, Fatah hit back at Hamas' criticism of Abbas, blaming Hamas for what has befallen Gaza since it unilaterally carried out its “adventure on October 7”.
“Has Hamas consulted with Palestinian leaders while they were negotiating with Israel and offered concessions, in an attempt to get guarantees of their leaders' personal safety in return?” said the Fatah statement.
As president, Abbas remains the most powerful figure in the Palestinian Authority, but the appointment of a new government shows a willingness to meet international demands for a change in government.
Mustafa, who helped organize Gaza's reconstruction after previous conflicts, was tasked with leading aid and reconstruction of the territory, which has been devastated by more than five months of war, and reforming Palestinian Authority institutions, according to the appointment letter.