Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad offers resignation in bitter dispute with President Mahmoud Abbas

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has offered to resign because of an increasingly bitter dispute with President Mahmoud Abbas over the extent of his authority, officials said today.

Mr Abbas has not responded to Mr Fayyad, who enjoys the support of the international community, particularly the United States.

It is not clear if Mr Abbas, who is expected back in the West Bank today following a trip to Qatar, will accept Mr Fayyad's resignation at a time when the US is trying to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

As part of that effort, US Secretary of State John Kerry hopes to win Israeli approval for Palestinian economic projects in the West Bank. Mr Fayyad, a respected economist, is considered to be key to overseeing such projects.

Mr Fayyad has served since 2007 as prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, the self-rule government which administers 38% of the Israeli-controlled West Bank.

The relationship between Mr Fayyad and Mr Abbas has been tense for some time, and the prime minister told Mr Abbas late last year that he wanted to quit.

Mr Abbas repeatedly told Mr Fayyad to hold back from such a step, but the conflict between the two escalated last month over the resignation of Mr Fayyad's finance minister, Nabil Kassis. Mr Fayyad accepted the resignation, but Mr Abbas then overruled the prime minister, effectively challenging his right to hire and fire Cabinet ministers.

Mr Fayayd told confidants in recent days that he is determined to leave. The prime minister, a political independent, also complained about what he said was an attempt by leading members of Mr Abbas's Fatah movement to undermine him.

Three officials confirmed in interviews with the Associated Press that Mr Fayyad had offered his resignation to Mr Abbas. One said Mr Fayyad did so in person and in a letter to Mr Abbas in mid-February, while two said Mr Fayyad sent such a letter through mediators to Mr Abbas last week.

Mr Abbas appointed Mr Fayyad to his post after the Islamic militant Hamas seized the Gaza Strip in 2007. Since then, the West Bank and Gaza have been run by separate governments, one led by Mr Fayyad in the West Bank and one run by Hamas in Gaza.

AP