President Abbas appoints Mohammad Mustafa as new Palestinian PM. Who is he?

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Israel and Islamist militant group Hamas. Palestinian leaders hope he could now emerge as a unifying figure as he prepares to rebuild the enclave after five months of Israeli bombardment since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

The internationally recognised PA, which exercises limited self rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank but lost control of Gaza to Hamas in 2007, aims to reunify governance of Palestinian lands after the Gaza war. Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh, a member of Abbas's Fatah faction, stepped down in February to pave the way for a unity cabinet, and Fatah and Hamas are expected to meet in Moscow this week to discuss the future. Though close to Abbas, Mustafa is not a Fatah member, potentially making him less contentious.

Mustafa faces a huge task of management and diplomacy. Swathes of Gaza are now rubble and most of its 2.3 million people have been displaced and need aid. The West Bank, too, has seen the worst violence in decades.

In addition to overseeing billions in expected international aid, Mustafa will need both political buy-in from Hamas and its supporters and cooperation from Israel, which wants to eradicate Hamas. Washington, which wants the PA to play a leading role in post-war governance of Gaza, has called for deep reforms in how it is run. "Everyone is in crisis.

Fatah is in crisis in the West Bank and Hamas is clearly in crisis in Gaza," Palestinian economist Mohammad Abu Jayyab said, speaking before Mustafa's appointment. Mustafa, 69, could represent the "way out" for both, he said. Abbas appointed Mustafa as PIF chairman in 2015.