Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad offered his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday following a rift between the two men over government policy, two sources told Reuters. Abbas was due to return to the occupied West Bank from Jordan on Thursday, and it was not immediately clear whether he would accept the resignation of the US-educated economist. A spokeswoman at Fayyad's office declined to comment on the reports, which followed persistent rumors that Abbas wanted to sack Fayyad following internal political wrangling. Three officials confirmed the offer of resignation in comments to The Associated Press but insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the issue with media. Two of the officials spoke on Thursday. They also disagreed on when Fayyad offered his resignation. One official said it was in February while two said it was last week.
