Rival Palestinian factions agree to end yearslong divisions at China-brokered talks

Beijing, Jul 23 (PTI) In a rare show of solidarity amidst the war in Gaza, 14 Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, have jointly pledged to end their deep divisions and strengthen Palestinian unity by signing a declaration on Tuesday at a meeting brokered by China.
    China's Foreign Ministry, which coordinated the dialogue among the rival factions for the past three days, said on Tuesday that the declaration was a first step to promote a “comprehensive, durable and sustainable ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip battered by Israeli attacks.
    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who met the leaders’ factions said the signing of the agreement was “an important, historic moment in the Palestinian cause”.
    He said that under the deal the rival groups had agreed to set up an “interim national reconciliation government” to govern post-war Gaza.
    The pact aims to unite Palestinians in their conflict with Israel which launched the war against Hamas in Gaza in October last year following the abduction of over 200 Israeli hostages.
    Signatories included senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk and Fatah envoy Mahmoud al-Aloul along with emissaries from 12 other Palestinian groups.
    The Chinese foreign ministry said it was the first time the 14 rival groups had gathered together in Beijing for reconciliation talks.
    "Reconciliation is an internal matter for the Palestinian factions, but at the same time it cannot be achieved without the support of the international community," Wang said.
    “The core outcome is that the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation) is the sole legitimate representative of all Palestinian people,” Wang said, adding that “an agreement has been reached on post-Gaza war governance and the establishment of a provisional national reconciliation government.”
    It was unclear from Wang’s comments what role Hamas, which is not part of the PLO, would play in such an arrangement, or what the immediate impact of any deal would be.
    The agreement brokered by China without any involvement of Israel which spurned all international efforts until the hostages were released was seen as yet another diplomatic initiative by Beijing to further China’s influence in West Asia.
    Hamas rules the Gaza Strip while Fatah controls the Palestinian Authority, which has partial administrative control of the West Bank.
    Israel, which has vowed to destroy Hamas before it will end the war in Gaza, swiftly dismissed the Beijing declaration.
    "Instead of rejecting terrorism, Mahmoud Abbas embraces the murderers and rapists of Hamas, revealing his true face," Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on X.
    "In reality, this won’t happen because Hamas's rule will be crushed, and Abbas will be watching Gaza from afar. Israel's security will remain solely in Israel's hands," Katz emphasised.
    In March last year, China brokered a peace deal between arch-rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia which enabled the two countries to establish diplomatic relations.
    Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is also visiting Beijing this week to discuss China's role in ending the Russia-Ukraine war as well as economic cooperation, Hong Kong-based South China Post reported.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)