Palestinian Authority Prime Minister has tendered his resignation, after criticism of him within the PA reached new highs. It is not clear, however, if PA chief Mahmoud Abbas would accept his resignation at this time, although the two were at odds on many issues.
PA officials and Fatah terror group members have increased their criticism of Fayyad in recent days over the continuing financial crisis in the PA. Last month, Fayyad fired the PA finance minister against Abbas' wishes, just the latest instance of Fayyad acting too independently for Abbas' taste, sources in the PA said.
Abbas is said to have long sought ways to remove Fayyad from his post, but Fayyad's office denied that this was the reason he quit.
Fayyad's resignation is likely to bring even more trouble for the PA. Fayyad was seen by many Western leaders as the most likely PA official to agree to work out a deal with Israel, and a likely heir of Abbas. Just Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Fayyad, and reportedly reassured him that the U.S. saw him as a very important part of the peace process.
But apparently this was not enough to convince him to remain, Western diplomats said, adding that Fayyad had been “the single best thing to happen in the Palestinian territories in recent years. It's not clear where we go from here without him aboard."