Palestinian Authority PM resigns

RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 7 (UPI) -- Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad says he is stepping down and has submitted his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas.

Analysts said the resignation appears to be a conciliatory move aimed at answering a key demand from the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which had demanded Fayyad's resignation as part of a reconciliation effort with the rival Fatah, the BBC reported Saturday.

Fayyad's resignation will help pave the way for the formation of a national unity government by the end of this month which would include both Fatah, whose members comprise the leadership of the Palestinian Authority on the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, the British broadcaster said.

An unnamed Fatah official told Israel's Ynetnews that if reconciliation efforts between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas are to be successful, Fayyad would have had to resign anyway. Another prime minister acceptable to both parties would have been agreed upon during negotiations, it said.