GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — On Oct. 13, the Legal Committee of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) endorsed a recommendation on reviewing the study submitted by some Hamas members of parliament for the return of the 11th government to its functions in the Gaza Strip. The Ismail Haniyeh government resigned on June 2, 2014, following the Beach Refugee Camp agreement, to pave the way for the formation of the national consensus government headed by Rami Hamdallah. The recommendation stirred controversy on the Palestinian arena.

The PLC (Hamas) members submitted their study to the PLC on the same day, Oct. 13, as they accused the consensus government of failing to execute the tasks entrusted to it since it was formed in June 2014. These tasks include merging the government institutions in the West Bank with those of the Gaza Strip and preparing for the presidential, legislative and local elections as well as the Palestinian National Council elections.

Also, on Oct. 4, the government canceled the local elections that were initially scheduled for Oct. 8. This has pushed the PLC members to call for the return of Haniyeh’s government in order to take action in light of the consensus government’s failure to present its program before the PLC to gain the vote of confidence, in virtue of Article 66 of the Palestinian Basic Law.

The PLC’s recommendation was followed by an official statement issued by Hamas Oct. 16, accusing the consensus government of “reneging on the internal accord between Hamas and factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization to form the 2014 consensus government, and replacing a number of ministers with Fatah leaders — turning it into a Fatah government. For his part, Prime Minister Hamdallah operates as a Fatah official.”