Palestinian Authority Minister Says He Does Not Expect a 'Miracle' from Moscow Talks for a Unified State

The Palestinian Authority's Foreign Minister, Riyad al-Maliki, said on Wednesday that he does not expect a 'miracle' from the 'Moscow talks' aimed at discussing the formation of a unified Palestinian government and the reconstruction of Gaza. According to Reuters, the negotiations between representatives of Hamas and the Fatah political faction are set to take place on Thursday in the Russian capital, just days after the resignation of Mohammad Shtayyeh, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority. Al-Maliki stated that this resignation was designed to garner support for a larger role for the Palestinian Authority following the war between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas in Gaza. Regarding the negotiations, he said, 'We hope to achieve good results in terms of mutual understanding among all factions regarding the necessity of supporting such a technocratic government that may emerge.' He expressed that he does not expect a 'miracle' to occur at the Moscow meeting and that it should soon be followed by other sessions in the region. The accusation of inefficiency has called into question the Palestinian Authority and the effectiveness of the Prime Minister's position, which was established about 30 years ago as part of the Oslo Accords. Shtayyeh's resignation symbolizes a change that reflects Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's desire to strengthen his claim to leadership in Palestinian affairs, especially amid increasing international pressure for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the future. Al-Maliki, speaking on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, mentioned that the resignation was made to prevent accusations of non-cooperation from international partners against the Palestinian Authority. He also commented on the Gaza war, stating that 'a ceasefire seems to be an unattainable goal, and as a result, we are witnessing the death of people.' Shortly after the onset of the Israel-Hamas war, the United States and several other powerful countries urged the Palestinian Authority to prepare to manage affairs in the Gaza Strip post-war. However, the U.S. has publicly stated this is conditional on the Palestinian Authority undertaking internal reforms. The Israel-Hamas war began following terrorist attacks by this Iran-backed Islamist group in southern Israel on October 6. The U.S. described the resignation of the Palestinian Authority cabinet as a positive step towards reforms and stated that reaching a temporary ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas is 'feasible.' The Israeli Defense Minister claimed that the Islamic Republic and Hamas intend to execute 'the second part of the October 6 attack' during Ramadan. A UN official stated that the Israeli army prevented a medical aid convoy in Gaza despite prior coordination.