Rival Palestinian factions including Fatah and Hamas have signed a deal after talks in Beijing aimed at ending divisions and creating unity, marking a diplomatic victory for China.
Senior representatives of 14 Palestinian factions reached the agreement, the so-called Beijing Declaration, after reconciliation talks that began on Sunday.
The pact aims to unite the Palestinians in their conflict with Israelthat one war against militant group Hamas in Gaza in October.
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Senior representatives of 14 Palestinian factions signed the agreement after days of reconciliation talks in Beijing. Photo: AFP alt=Senior representatives of 14 Palestinian factions signed the agreement after days of reconciliation talks in Beijing. Photo: AFP>
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the agreement was a first step toward promoting a “comprehensive, lasting and sustainable ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip, which would eventually lead to Palestine being admitted as a full member of the United Nations and becoming an independent state.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that the signing of the agreement was “an important, historic moment in the Palestinian cause.”
He said the rival groups had agreed in the deal to establish an “interim government of national reconciliation” to govern Gaza after the war.
The signatories included senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk and Fatah envoy Mahmoud al-Aloul, along with envoys from 12 other Palestinian groups.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was the first time the 14 rival groups had met in Beijing for reconciliation talks.
“Reconciliation is an internal matter of the Palestinian factions, but at the same time it cannot be achieved without the support of the international community,” Wang said.
He added that China is keen to “play a constructive role in ensuring peace and stability in the Middle East”.
Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, the two main Palestinian political parties in the Palestinian territories, have held several rounds of unity talks since Hamas defeated President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party in parliamentary elections in 2006.
In 2007, Hamas became the de facto leader in the Gaza Strip, while Fatah led the Palestinian Authority in the Israeli-controlled West Bank.
Attempts at reconciliation have failed as tensions between Fatah and Hamas escalated and spread to the region.
Hamas and Fatah have tried and failed several times to reach an agreement to unite the two separate Palestinian territories under a single administration, with a 2017 deal brokered by Egypt quickly falling apart. A 2022 agreement to hold elections within a year was not honored.
The West refuses to accept any government that includes Hamas unless it explicitly recognizes Israel.
Tuesday’s agreement comes after China attempted to position itself as a mediator in Gaza after it mediated a peace agreement between Middle Eastern rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia in March last year.
It also tries to mediate in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is in Beijing this week to discuss China’s role in ending the war and economic cooperation.
This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP)the most authoritative voice covering China and Asia for over a century. For more SCMP stories, explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP’s Facebook And Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
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