Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed a new prime minister following the resignation of Salam Fayyad.
Rami Hamdallah, a British-educated academic and political independent, will take over.
He replaces Mr Fayyad who stepped down in April following a long-running and bitter dispute with the president.
The move comes as the US tries to revive the long-stalled peace process with Israel.
ChallengeMr Hamdallah, 54, now has the job of forming a new government in Ramallah, the administrative centre of the Palestinian Authority.
He is currently president of al-Najah National University in the West Bank and seen as close to Mr Abbas' Fatah party. He has not previously had a high-profile role in Palestinian politics.
Mr Hamdallah will be expected to act as a caretaker prime minister while the two main Palestinian political factions, Fatah and Hamas, continue drawn-out reconciliation talks.
The two sides split violently in 2007 with Fatah taking control in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Last month officials on both sides announced plans to form a unity government by August that would then prepare for new elections.
But Hamas leaders condemned Mr Hamdallah's appointment on Sunday, according to local media.
Spokesman Sami Abu Zahari was quoted as saying it was in breach of a reconciliation agreement reached in Cairo and that the government was "illegal".
US Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the prime minister's selection.
"His appointment comes at a moment of challenge, which is also an important moment of opportunity," he said in a statement.
Mr Fayyad, 61, was prime minister of the Palestinian Authority from 2007. A former International Monetary Fund official, he was widely respected among international organisations and donors but clashed with Mr Abbas over economic policy.
Mr Hamdallah's appointment will fill a political vacuum, the BBC's Yolande Knell reports.
But he joins the Palestinian Authority at a tough time, our correspondent adds, as it struggles to deal with budget deficits and as the US leads efforts to revive stalled peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel.
Israel has not yet given an official response to the announcement.
Commentary in the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz described Mr Hamdallah as "moderate" and "pragmatic with all that has to do with Israel".
03 Jun, 2013
-
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFXKzlk5_Tku1W6J6iV09kXWJ2Mvw&url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22751932
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com