The Hamas government was not appointed by PA President Mahmoud Abbas nor approved by the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC).
It exercised de facto rule over the Gaza Strip, and was not recognised by any foreign government.
Abbas also suspended articles in the Basic Law to dispense with the need for the Fatah government to obtain PLC approval.
The PA government was widely recognized as the representative government of the Palestinian National Authority, the de jure authority in the Palestinian territories, with de facto control only in the West Bank.
However, Haniyeh and Hamas claimed the Fatah-led PA government was illegitimate and unconstitutional.