Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah has submitted his resignation, his office has confirmed. This came just two weeks after the highly respected academic had taken office.

The prime minister's office said on Thursday Hamdallah had stepped down because of a "conflict over authority." It was not immediately clear whether President Mahmoud Abbas would accept his resignation.

Hamdallah took over for Salam Fayyad, a US-educated economist, who resigned on April 13.