Palestinian govt submits resignation

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: The Palestinian government submitted its resignation on Tuesday, a statement said, a move seen as a bid by President Mahmoud Abbas to strengthen his position as a decade-old political split deepens.

Analysts view replacing prime minister Rami Hamdallah after five years as part of Abbas’s efforts to further isolate his political rivals Hamas, who run the Gaza Strip. Hamdallah’s government will remain in place while a new administration is formed.

"The government of Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah submitted on Tuesday its resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas," official news agency Wafa said in English following a cabinet meeting.

The government "will continue to serve our people wherever they are and shoulder all its responsibilities until a new government is formed," it added. It was unclear how the change of government could impact on policy. Secularist Abbas remains the primary decision maker and interlocutor with the international community.