Ministry of Interior (State of Palestine)

The Ministry of Interior and National Security[1][2] is the branch of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) cabinet in charge of the security and the statistics of the population of the State of Palestine. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) is a sub-branch of the Interior Ministry that has the responsibility for the population and economic statistics of the Palestinian territories. Since Hamas' takeover of Gaza, the position of the Interior Ministry within the Palestinian Security Services is unclear.

Ministry of Interior and National Security
وزارة الداخلية والأمن الوطني
Agency overview
JurisdictionState of Palestine
HeadquartersRamallah, Palestine
Other location:
Abu Dis, Jerusalem, Palestine
Minister responsible
  • Ziad Hab al-Rih, Minister of the Interior and National Security
Child agencies

History

In 2006, the Israeli Defense Forces struck the office building of the Interior Ministry multiple times as a part of a bombing campaign in Gaza. The attacks were in response to the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier.[3]

In June 2007, the office in Gaza was taken by Said Seyam as part of the Hamas government of June 2007. Fathi Hamad took office in January 2009, following assassination of Said Seyam on 15 January 2009 during the Gaza War. In August 2012, following government reshuffle by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyye, Fathi Hamad remained in position.

Officeholders

Interior Ministers of the Palestinian Authority

#NamePartyTime in Office
1Yasser Arafat[4]FatahJuly 1994 - 1998
2Ahmad Tamimi[5]1998 -
3Abdel Razzak El-Yehya[6]

(Abdul al-Razzaq al-Yahia)

PLO/IndependentJune 2002 - October 2002
4Hani al-Hasan [7]FatahOctober 2002 - April 2003
5Mahmoud Abbas * [8][9][10]FatahApril 2003 - September 2003
6[11] **

Nasser Yousef was nominated,[12][13] but not appointed.[14] ***

FatahOctober 2003 - November 2003
7Hakam Balawi[15]FatahNovember 2003 - February 2005?
8Nasser Yousef[16]FatahFebruary 2005 - March 2006
9Said SeyamHamasMarch 2006 - March 2007
10Hani Talab al-Qawasmi[17] ****Hamas/Independent
(unity government)
March 2007 - April 2007
Parallel governments
11Rami Hamdallah[18]Fatah/Independent
(unity government) [19]
2 June 2014 -
* Mohammed Dahlan, former Preventive Security Director in the Gaza Strip became Minister of State for Security Affairs

** Emergency government appointed by Presidential Decree
*** Yousef refused to be sworn in without a vote of confidence from the PLC
**** al-Qawasmi resigned on 23 April 2007 over lack of support for his reform plans for the security services.[20]

Interior Ministers in the West Bank

#NamePartyTime in Office
1Abdel Razzak El-Yehya[21]

(Abdul al-Razzaq al-Yahia)

PLO/IndependentJune 2007 - July 2007
2Abdel Razzak El-Yehya[22]PLO/IndependentJuly 2007 - May 2009
3Said Abu Ali[23]FatahMay 2009 - June 2013
4Said Abu Ali[24]FatahJune 2013 - June 2014

Interior and National Security Ministers in the Gaza Strip

#NamePartyTime in Office
1Said SeyamHamasJune 2007 - 15 January 2009
2Fathi Hamad[25][26]HamasApril 2009 - June 2014

See also

References