Five claims from former Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and why they matter

We spent an hour talking to former Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, who is one of the most influential voices in the West Bank.

Here are five key claims he made - and why they matter.

1. 'The Oslo Agreement is dead'

Shtayyeh has spent decades advocating for a two-state solution.

The Oslo Accords were supposed to create the framework for limited self-rule for Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but were undermined by mistrust, violence from both sides and an ongoing wave of Israeli settlers taking land in the West Bank.

His comment reflects a wider sentiment that the chances of a two-state solution have plummeted.

2. 'The Palestinian Authority is collapsing'

Under a long-standing agreement, Israel collects taxes and is supposed to transfer them to the Palestinian Authority (PA).

These taxes make up more than two-thirds of the PA's spending budget. But Israel has frequently halted, or drastically cut, these transfers, meaning the PA is now short by around $5bn (£3.75bn).

Public services are struggling desperately to cope and now, according to the former prime minister, the PA is "collapsing". That's a serious warning of a brewing crisis.

3. 'The difference between Netanyahu and Bennett is no more than the difference between Coca-Cola and Pepsi'

What Shtayyeh says he wants from the Israeli government is a reformer - someone who could channel the spirit of former South African leader FW de Klerk, make extraordinarily bold decisions and unite a fractured land.

Israel has an election later this year and the (narrow) favourite to be the next prime minister is Naftali Bennett.

But Shtayyeh told me he thought Naftali Bennett and Benjamin Netanyahu were almost indistinguishable. A new leader, he claimed, "will go through cosmetic steps…as a public relations campaign".

4. 'There are so many things that Europe can do to make the Israeli occupation costly'

During our conversation, Shtayyeh claimed "the whole world" had been "moved" by the plight of Palestinians, pointing to the large protests seen in many cities.

But he said that not enough was being done, showing "how the international community is incapable of moving in the right direction".

He told me more settlers should be sanctioned, that European countries should boycott official visits by Israeli officials, and Europe should cease its "association agreement".

He links this to the pressure placed on the South African apartheid regime - a comparison that particularly angers many in Israel, particularly the government.

5. 'The next war is going to be against Turkey and Egypt'

This is very much his personal opinion, and it's not one you hear widely, but Shtayyeh told me that he thinks Israel will target both Turkey and Egypt for future attacks.

When I pushed back, reminding him that Turkey is a NATO country, he said "it doesn't mean Turkey will be attacked from outside - the conspiracy against Turkey is to break it from within", claiming that "in order for Israel to achieve its goals, a 'Greater Israel' would have to live within these regions".

An Israeli official told me that the allegation was "delusional nonsense".

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(c) Sky News 2026: Five claims from former Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and why they matter