This agreement convened a council (PA) of emergency cabinets led by Salam Fayyad established by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas by presidential decree.

Although widely supported by the international community, its creation is controversial as it was established under the Basic Law which requires the approval of the new government by Palestinian Legislative Council.

Emergency rule replaced the short-lived Hamas-led National Unity Government of March 2007, which was dismissed by President Abbas after the Hamas takeover of Gaza in June 2007.

[1][2] Senior lawyers who wrote the Basic Law said that President Abbas exceeded his powers in appointing an emergency government to replace a Hamas-led cabinet without PLC approval.

[9] According to Palestinian security officials in the West Bank, Israel had since June 2007 assisted them in their common fight against Hamas.

The cooperation with Israel generated a common view among Palestinians in the West Bank, that the forces under President Abbas are the “subcontractor of the occupation“.