President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday appointed Mohammad Mustafa, his longtime ally and economic affairs adviser, as the Palestinian Authority’s next prime minister, according to the Associated Press. Mustafa’s elevation comes three weeks after the resignation of his predecessor, Mohammed Shtayyeh, who stepped down amid growing international pressure to reform the Palestinian government. In a televised government meeting, Shtayyeh said that “new governmental and political arrangements” were needed given “the evolving situation in Gaza” and “national unity discussions,” according to CNN. It is unclear if Abbas’ choice of a trusted confidant would satisfy the U.S.’ calls for change. Mustafa, 69, is an economist who was educated at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., worked at the World Bank, and at one point sat on the board of the Palestinian Investment Fund. He will now be tasked by Abbas, who has governed by decree since 2005, with forming a new government in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority is based. That reformed authority will look towards an eventual reunification with postwar Gaza, a plan already threatened by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s staunch refusal to recognize or take steps towards Palestinian independence.