Upheaval in the Palestinian Authority. The Chairman of the Authority, Mahmoud Abbas - Abu Mazen, surprisingly dismissed most of the governors of the districts and cities in the Palestinian Authority today.
In the official statement from the Palestinian news agency, it is stated that they were "retired en masse," although many of them are much younger than Abu Mazen, who is 87 years old. Among those dismissed are the governors of Hebron, Jericho, Bethlehem, Jenin, Tubas, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Tulkarem. The only one who survived the purge is the governor of Ramallah, Leila Ranam.
The next governors will be chosen by a committee
The governors of the districts are responsible, among other things, for the security mechanisms of the Authority. It is still unclear what prompted this sudden move that is shaking the Palestinian street. Whether there is a fear of a political upheaval within the Authority or an attempt to appoint more compliant governors in anticipation of the days ahead.
The new governors will be selected by a presidential committee, which will convene in the near future.