The Palestinian Authority cabinet in the West Bank resigned on 14 February ahead of elections planned later this year.

According to Lebanon newspaper Daily Star, the resignation came after demands from Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

President Mahmoud Abbas says the new cabinet will focus on “strengthening the preparedness of the national institutions for the establishment of the state of independent Palestine”, according to the official news agency Wafa.

The decision follows weeks of sustained unrest in Tunisia and Egypt, as well as sporadic protests across the wider Middle East region. Hamas, which has governed the Gaza strip since 2007, says it will not take part in the ballot or recognise its results, further damaging the credibility of the election (MEED 4:2:11).

“Unless Abbas carries out serious security and political reforms, his authority will be subject to the wrath of the Palestinian people,” says Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri.

The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank has so far not faced any large-scale demonstrations, despite severe criticism of the government since the leak of hundreds of its diplomatic documents by Qatar’s Al-Jazeera. The Palestinian Authority’s chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat has also resigned, saying he took responsibility for the leaks.