Mohammad Shtayyeh
Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh (Arabic: محمد إبراهيم اشتية; born 17 January 1958) is a Palestinian economist and politician affiliated with Fatah who served as Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority from 10 March 2019 until his resignation on 26 February 2024.[1][2][3]
Born in the village of Tell near Nablus, Shtayyeh earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and economics from Birzeit University, followed by a master's in international relations from the University of Jordan.[1][4] He participated in Palestinian-Israeli negotiations starting from the 1991 Madrid Conference, including the Washington Talks and final status discussions, and advised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on economic and diplomatic matters.[1][5] Prior to his premiership, he headed the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR) and served as Minister of Public Works and Housing.[6]
Appointed by Abbas to lead a technocratic government focused on economic reform and reconciliation with Hamas, Shtayyeh's tenure coincided with heightened tensions, including the Palestinian Authority's suspension of security coordination with Israel in 2020 over annexation plans and ongoing fiscal strains from Israeli withholding of clearance revenues linked to PA payments to families of militants.[2][1][7] His government faced criticism for limited progress on intra-Palestinian unity and governance reforms amid the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent Gaza conflict, prompting his resignation to facilitate potential postwar restructuring.[8][3]