UPDATE - Palestine: Abbas appoints new prime minister

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT BY NEWLY APPOINTED PRIME MINISTER

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday appointed senior Fatah official Mohammad Shtayeh as a new prime minister, according to the official Wafa news agency.

Shtayeh, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, will replace Rami Hamdallah, who tendered his resignation in January upon "recommendations" from Fatah group.

Fatah argued that the move was taken over "intransigence" of its rival group Hamas and "its refusal to deal with the national reconciliation government."

Hamas and Fatah have been at odds since the former seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 from Fatah after street fighting.

In a statement to Anadolu Agency following his appointment, Shtayeh said: "In line with the instructions of President Abbas, the duty of our government is to ensure the unity, to end the division and to bring the national legitimacy to Gaza."

Noting that the Palestinian cause is passing through a very difficult condition, Shtayeh said that it is important to relieve the pain of the people and to diminish their suffering.

"Our people deserve every effort and are aware of the difficult times," he said.

Born in 1958 in a village near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Shtayeh is a Palestinian politician and economic expert.

He served as a minister of public works and housing between 2005-2006 and 2008-2010 and head of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction.

Shtayeh holds a doctorate in economic development from the University of Sussex, UK, and worked as a professor and dean at Birzeit University.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev