Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei (Abu Ala) submitted his resignation on Thursday to run for a parliamentary seat in next month's election, President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed. Qurei had been required by law to leave office before the Jan. 25 ballot. According to Reuters, he was listed on the ruling Fatah party's ticket presented on Wednesday.
"According to the election law, candidates must resign from their posts. Abu Ala submitted his resignation to me today," Abbas told Reuters.
Former foreign minister, Nabil Shaath will replace Qurei as caretaker prime minister.
Ongoing fire exchange
An Islamic Jihad activist on Thursday was assassinated by Israeli forces in the West Bank. According to Palestinian sources, the man identified as Eyad Kamel was killed near the town of Jenin.
Meanwhile, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket Thursday afternoon that landed just south of the Israeli town of Ashkelon. According to Israeli reports, two other rockets crashed in the area earlier in the day. There were no casualties and no damage was caused in any of the attacks.
Early Thursday morning, Israeli fore hit the home of a leading Palestinian activist and the office of an Islamic charity in the Gaza Strip. Three Palestinians were wounded in the attacks.
In Rafah, an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at the office of a charity linked to Islamic Jihad, causing damage but no casualties. Also on Thursday, an Israeli aircraft fired rockets at open areas of northern Gaza Strip used by Palestinian rocket crews to fire into Israel, military sources said. Palestinian sources said two people were wounded in this Israeli attack.
