On Sunday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced that Rami Hamdallah would take the position of prime minister.

The 55-year-old, British-educated professor of linguistics has served in various Palestinian academic forums and has been president of Najah National University in the West Bank. In a written statement published after the announcement, Mr Hamdallah thanked Mr Abbas for his trust and pledged his support to the Palestinian government.

Mr Hamdallah will replace Salam Fayyad who resigned from government earlier this year.

US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke positively about Mr Abbas’s choice of leader. He said: “Together, we can choose the path of a negotiated two-state settlement that will allow Palestinians to fulfil their legitimate aspirations, and continue building the institutions of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state that will live in peace, security and economic strength alongside Israel.”