Palestinian leader appoints longtime adviser as prime minister in the face of calls for reform

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed his longtime economic adviser to be the next prime minister. The appointment Thursday came in the face of U.S. pressure to reform the Palestinian Authority as part of Washington’s postwar vision for Gaza. Mohammad Mustafa is a U.S.-educated economist and political independent. He will head a technocratic government in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that could potentially administer Gaza ahead of eventual statehood. But those plans face major obstacles. Those include strong opposition from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which is still grinding on with no end in sight.